Everything Changes
by AddsTheWriter
Summary: Her life will never be the same. She's just come back to the team and she is being counted on to run the BAU. But now Emily Prentiss is facing something she doesn't know how to handle.
1. Chapter 1

_*** This is my first try at writing something for Criminal Minds, but I have watched the show for a few years now and have seen every episode there is, so I definitely know and love these characters. And although I love SVU and will continue the stories I have started, I felt that a change in show would be good. So this story includes everyone but Hotch (for now), as I have Emily in charge like she is in the most current season. Derek never left, but Tara Lewis has joined the team (no Alvez or Walker). I can promise drama, cliffhangers, and hopefully a good story for you all. Read and please, please enjoy! ***_

"This killer is not going to stop unless he is stopped. He is at his peak right now and he knows that he is going to continue to get away with what he is doing. But this also means that he could begin to get sloppy because he is overconfident. We will continue to go over all the men in these women's lives, even the ones they may not have even realized were there. All of you need to make sure that the public is aware that this man is hunting in their community and they need to be hyper-vigilant at all times."

Emily Prentiss dismissed the group of Portland cops standing in front of her team. With the profile delivered, it was now time for everyone to buckle down and find this killer.

Tara Lewis, who had left in order to answer a phone call to the precinct returned, a hopeful look in her eye. "You were right, he's getting sloppy. That was a man who just saw a woman being abducted and the man who took her matches our description to a T and our witness knows who he is."

The rest of the team followed Tara's lead, grabbing their Kevlar vests. Emily was the last to grab her vest. The moment that her hand gripped the fabric on the bullet-proof vest, she felt like she had hit a wall. Her head was swimming and everything around her was spinning. She did her best to hide what she had been feeling for the entire trip to Portland.

"Em, you good?" JJ had come back to grab something she had forgotten.

The commanding agent looked up, trying to even out her breathing. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

The blonde wasn't blind, she knew that her boss and friend was not okay, but she wasn't going to call her out on it when they needed to be worried about their current case. She would get to the bottom of whatever was happening with Emily when they got back to Washington.

However, before they could get back to DC, they would have to deal with the killer that was at hand. And he was one of the worst that he had seen. When they got to the house that the witness had led them too, the team was not prepared for what they saw. The man they were after would slowly skin his victims while they were still alive. He would tie them up and torture them for forty-eight hours at a time. And although it was lucky for the victim, it was unlucky for the team to find the man in the middle of cutting up his latest victim.

Prentiss had led herself and Morgan into the basement where the man was keeping the woman. But the moment her eyes saw the young woman tied to a table, Emily was frozen in place. Derek Morgan acted immediately, not even noticing what the brunette was doing, or not doing.

The rest of the take down was a blur for Emily. The rest of the team rushed into the room around her while she still stood in the same spot, unable to move her legs. She had seen it all this point in career, but for some reason this crime scene affected her differently than any of them had before.

"Emily? Emily?" David Rossi stood in front of her now. The young woman was on the gurney headed up to the ambulance with paramedics. The unsub was handcuffed and resisting as Morgan pushed up the stairs. "Emily, what's wrong?"

But she couldn't get an answer out. She was feeling the same feeling that she had earlier and the room was spinning around her again.

"Emily?" Rossi's worry was evident in his voice.

She didn't answer him, instead she pushed past him and ran up the stairs. She clambered out the door and around the chaos that was now ensuing in the front of the house and outside on the front lawn.

The woman barely made it around to the side of the house, away from everyone, before she lost her lunch in the bushes. She laid her hand on the siding, trying to keep herself upright as another wave of nausea made her loose the rest of what she had eaten that day. Her legs started to feel like jello underneath her; she leaned all of weight against the house now to stop herself from falling over. She shut her eyes, willing her nausea to pass.

"Em?" JJ laid a very gentle hand on her back, but Emily jumped at the touch.

Emily took a deep breath, trying not to gag again on the taste of vomit that was in her mouth still. "I'm fine."

"Like hell you are." JJ sounded less sympathetic now.

"JJ…" Emily had to stop, taking another few deep breaths to steady herself as she stood up, but she was obviously swaying.

"Come on. We're getting you checked out." JJ tried to grab Emily's arm to guide her toward the car.

Emily pulled her arm away, almost falling over from the sudden movement. "I'm not going anywhere. I am fine."

"I've worked with you this long and I have never once seen you get sick at a crime scene. And earlier today at the precinct, I know you weren't feeling good. You can try to hide this all you want, Emily, but something is off with you."

Emily sighed. "Look, I probably just picked some virus up while we were here. It's no big deal. I will go see someone when we get home."

JJ wanted to fight her, but she knew that she would never win. Emily was head-strong and if she didn't want to do something, no one could change her mind. She was still worried that something more than a virus was causing her friend to be so sick, but it was not worth the trouble trying to convince her what was best.

"Then let's go get our stuff and get on the plane. We all need to get back after this week." JJ, followed by Emily, headed towards the black SUV's belonging to the FBI.

Two hours later, the team single-file boarded the jet. Everyone was ready to go home. Prentiss had ordered them all to take the next day off, because she knew how draining this case had been. They all settled into their seats and the first part of flight was rather quiet. Reid read some large, complex book. Morgan and JJ were sharing kid stories, trying to remind themselves that there was still sweet innocence in the world. Rossi was scrolling through something on his iPad. Tara and Emily sat across from each other, silently staring out the window. They were the two who were going home to empty houses, no family, no husbands or children.

"Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? I'm no chef, but I can whip us up something edible." Tara tried to break the silence that was now becoming awkward.

"Thank you for the invite, but after the day I've had, I don't think food is what I need." Emily could still hadn't completely rid herself of the taste of vomit from earlier.

"Oh yeah." Tara was embarrassed that she had even asked. JJ had told the team what happened and expressed how worried she was about their boss. "I'm sorry I even asked. I think you are much better off with some sleep instead of my mediocre cooking."

When the plane landed and the team had made their way back to headquarters, they all gathered their things and went their separate ways. Emily headed toward her office. She dropped her go bag and case files and grabbed her purse. But before she could even get to the elevators she was ambushed by a certain blonde technical analyst.

"Okay, I know you want to get home and you need to get home and get some sleep, but I know that you never keep anything in that beautiful brownstone of yours. So I got you some things." Penelope held a paper grocery bag in her arms.

"JJ called you?" Emily knew that if she had told the rest of the team, JJ had certainly told Penelope what had happened at the crime scene.

"Yes she did and you need to go see a doctor because this is not normal Emily behavior." Penelope never had a problem speaking her mind. "But that is beside the point right now. I got you some ginger ale and some peppermint tea, because both of those are good for soothing the stomach. There are also some saltines in there because I know that those will go down without coming back up again. And I got you some chicken noodle soup, but I would maybe wait until tomorrow to try that."

Emily couldn't stay angry at Penelope for knowing the embarrassing facts of that afternoon. "You are right. I have nothing at home. Thanks for all of this Pen."

"Anytime, my lady. Now go home and get some rest." Penelope squeezed her shoulder. She was just as worried as JJ had been about the woman.

Emily tried her best to keep her eyes on the road as she drove home, but she was distracted by everything that had happened. And instead of going straight to her brownstone she made a quick stop at the drugstore closest to her house. She picked up some TUMS, Tylenol, and one more thing that she needed.

She walked into her house half an hour later. Sergio greeted her at the door, meowing for his dinner. She fulfilled her cat's needs, put way what she had gotten from Garcia, but not before she made herself a cup of the peppermint tea.

She grabbed the plastic bag from the drugstore and went into her bathroom. She put the medicine away, but left out what else she had bought. She needed to use it, she knew she did, and she had known for a while now, but instead she sat on the edge of the bathtub for the next hour slowly sipping her tea that was getting cold. It took all that she had to stand up and open the box of the pregnancy test. Her hands shook as she read the instructions, even though she knew exactly how to use it, she needed to waste whatever time she could.

Three minutes later, Emily found herself pacing her bedroom. She knew that she needed to go look. But every time she took one step toward the bathroom, she took two steps the other direction. And if she was being honest with herself she knew what the test was going to say.

With one deep long breath, Emily found herself fighting to cross the threshold of the bathroom. She quickly grabbed the test without looking and went back into her bedroom. She sat on the end of the bed, letting out the breath that she didn't even realize she was holding. Emily knew that the moment she looked down at the plastic stick in her hands, her world was going to change forever. She thought if she waited that maybe for just a little while longer her life would stay normal, it would be the same life that she had grown so comfortable with.

And just as she had predicted as soon as she looked down at the test, her world came crashing down around her. She was pregnant. She was having a baby and nothing would ever be the same. The tears she had been holding back all day finally fell down her face.

 _ *** Okay, maybe a little predictable, but I will do my best to keep this story interesting. I have so many ideas and ways I want to take this, including baby daddy drama. Leave me all of your thoughts, comments, criticisms. They are so appreciated! ***_


	2. Chapter 2

_*** So here is the second chapter. Thank you to the person who pointed out that I spelled Derek's name wrong in the last chapter (what a dumb mistake). I went back and fixed it and made sure it was right in this one. Now, read away! ***_

"Emily, I am going to write you a prescription for the prenatal vitamins I want you taking."

"Okay." Emily told her doctor.

"And I don't need to see you for another month, but you can call if anything comes up that you are worried about. Everything so far looks good, but because of your age and this being a high risk pregnancy, you have to take all the precautions we talked about until you make it to the second trimester."

"Okay." Emily nodded. She was trying her best to listen to her OB, but she was finding it difficult to focus on anything other than the black and white ultrasound photos in her hands. This early in the pregnancy the baby only resembled a blob, but it was her tiny little blob with a heartbeat that had filled the entire exam room just minutes ago. She was in awe that in months it would be her son or daughter. It was also the scariest thing she had ever experienced. This tiny little thing was her responsibility.

"You can make your next appointment on the way out."

"Okay." Emily said for the third time in a row, obviously not focusing.

"And Emily?" The doctor could sense the mom-to-be's worries.

"Yeah?" Emily finally looked up at the woman in the white coat.

"Don't think too hard about all of this. You will both be fine." The doctor shut the door behind her.

Emily got dressed back in the clothes that she had come in, leaving the gown she had been asked to change into on the table of the exam room. She grabbed her purse and took her ultrasound photos back in her hand. She made her next appointment like her doctor had told her to. And before she realized it she was back in her car, driving to headquarters, her mind still on all that had just happened at her first appointment.

"Where have you been all morning?" Derek asked her bluntly when she walked into the bullpen.

Emily looked up from the email she had been reading. "I had an appointment." Her hand immediately tugged at the blazer she was wearing. She was only ten weeks along, but for the last week and a half since taking the pregnancy test, she felt like everyone could see some made-up baby bump that wasn't really there.

"An appointment for what?" Reid was asking the question this time, except instead of sounding accusing, he seemed interested.

"For something that I'm not discussing with all you right now." Emily continued to her office.

She sat down at her desk. She pulled out the ultrasound photos again. Her finger traced the shape of the baby on one of the photos. She looked out the window at her team that was still standing around talking to one another. She wanted to tell them what was going on. They were her family, but she wasn't ready. This was something that was going to affect them too and she almost felt guilty for the changes that would come with this pregnancy.

She was alone for all of three minutes before JJ walked through the door, no warning that she was coming in. Emily jumped at the sound of the door opening, trying to shove the photos back in her purse before the blonde could suspect anything.

"What were you looking at?" JJ hadn't seen what it was, but she could tell that Emily was hiding something.

"Nothing." Emily lied. "Just some case stuff."

JJ looked at her, trying her best to read her boss and friend. "Well I was just going to ask if you wanted to get lunch? It's been years since we had the time to take a lunch and I don't think we should throw away this opportunity."

"Umm I don't know…" Emily started, but then realized not going was even more suspicious. "Never mind, let's go."

JJ was a little confused by her answer, but didn't make anything of it. "Okay. The guys decided that they were going to the shooting range instead of joining us, so it just you, me, Tara, and Penelope."

"Sounds good."

However, when they arrived at the restaurant Emily was regretting her decision. The nausea had started before their last case, but it hadn't come out in full effect until that afternoon in the bushes and since then, she found herself feeling sick to her stomach at the smell of most food. So when the food came to their table, Emily knew she should have thought through her choices a little more carefully.

"JJ did you give Henry and Michael their gifts?" Penelope asked in between bites.

"Wait, did I miss some birthdays or something?" Tara was concerned that even though she was still new, she had missed some important days.

"No, you didn't miss anything." JJ assured her. "Aunt Penelope just loves to spoil her nephews rotten whenever she can."

"It's not like anything I am doing is going to harm them. Children deserve gifts every now and then."

"Yes every now and then, nit once a week." JJ laughed at the woman trying to convince her that she was only doing the best for her sons.

Emily pushed her food around trying to make it look like she was eating it and listened to Penelope. She thought of her own child and how much he or she would be loved by the technical analyst; there was no better aunt than her.

"Your food okay there Emily?" Tara was watching her stare at them, while she unconsciously swirled her fork through her plate.

Emily came back to reality at the sound of her name. "Oh, it's fine. That virus I picked up in Portland is still lingering so I'm just not feeling too great."

"Still? That was almost two weeks ago." JJ pointed out. Whatever Emily was trying to hide, she wasn't doing a very good job of it.

"It's really nothing." Emily brushed off her comment.

The woman sat and talked and ate for almost two hours before they forced themselves to return to headquarters. They all had things they should get done with their day and they all knew that days where they could catch up where far and few between.

The hours seemed to pass very slowly when Emily and the team got back. She sat in her office, isolated from everyone in the bullpen, except Rossi who was also in his own office. She watched them continually interact as they worked on paperwork or whatever else was on their computers. She turned back to her own laptop, but instead of going back to her work, she found her eyes gazing at her hand that laid on her stomach. There was nothing there, no bump of any kind, but she had found herself doing that in the last few days. A subconscious reminder that her baby was still there.

By the time five o'clock rolled around, everyone slowly began to disperse. Derek headed home to be with Savannah and Hank. Tara took some of her work home with her for a change of scenery. JJ went home to Will and the kids. And Reid was going to watch some long, foreign film in some small independently run theater. The only two that were left were Rossi and Prentiss, both of whom managed to exit their offices at the same time.

"You headed home too?" Rossi asked.

"Yes I am." Emily smiled at the older man. "What are you going to do with this night off?"

"I am going to pour myself a glass of wine and make a bowl of pasta and watch an old Italian movie." Rossi sounded thrilled about his quiet and relaxing plans. "What about you?"

"I am going home, making dinner, and going to bed." Emily's doctor had told her that she would be the most tired during her first trimester and she was right. She hadn't done anything but sit all day and Emily still was exhausted.

"Well you are welcome at my house if you would like some fine Italian cooking." Rossi offered.

Just the thought of pasta made Emily's stomach churn. "Thank you, but no thanks Rossi. Maybe some other time."

"Just know that the invitation is always there." Rossi patted her back.

They were just stepping out of the doors toward the elevator when Emily realize that she had left her phone sitting on her desk. She swung around to go back for it, but the sudden turn caused her purse to slip off of her shoulder. She watched it fall to the ground, all of its contents sprawling across the floor.

Rossi bent down to pick up what he could as Emily did the same. But as soon as she started for her wallet, she realized what else was in her purse and Rossi had already found it.

The black and white ultrasound photos were in his hands before she could even think to pick them up. He handled them with care, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from them. It didn't take an FBI profiler to know exactly what they were. He looked at the name on top of them, thinking that maybe they weren't actually Emily's. But in bold, black type on top of the first photo next to patient name, it clearly read " **PRENTISS, EMILY"**.

Her breath caught in her throat. This was the absolute last way that she wanted anyone to find out. Rossi deserved to be told, just like the rest of team, when the time was right.

"Please don't say anything to anyone." Emily pleaded, sounding desperate.

Rossi looked up from the pictures for the first time since he had picked them up. "You're pregnant?"

"Yeah." Emily nodded. "But really, please Rossi. I don't want anyone on the team to know yet. Please."

Rossi handed her the photos which she slipped back into her purse along with the rest of its contents. "Emily, I won't say anything. I promise."

"Thank you." Emily said in the sincerest of tones, knowing she could trust the man.

Rossi waited as Emily went back to her office and quickly retrieved her phone from on top of her desk. She came back, still looking scared that someone else knew her secret.

"Are you okay?" Rossi asked her.

Emily opened her mouth to answer him, but then she stopped herself. She wasn't going to lie to the one person who knew what she was hiding. "I don't really think so."

"Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head. "I just still need to process all of this. It's a lot to take all at once."

"But the baby is fine? You're healthy?" Rossi felt like such a father for asking such questions, but he worried about her.

Emily couldn't help but smile at the thought of her little blob. "Yeah. The baby is perfect. I heard their heartbeat this morning and it was… it was unbelievable."

Rossi could see that even though she seemed unsure, Emily was excited about this child. She was beaming just talking about them. He had always known that she would make an incredible mother, but until now he wasn't sure that it would ever happen for her. She was a hard worker and her job had run her life for a long time. Now that it was happening for her, he just hoped that she would eventually reach out to the team for the support that she was going to need.

They stepped onto an empty elevator when it arrived on their floor.

He looked to her. "Just promise me you'll take it easy. I know you won't want me babying you, but this job isn't always predictable."

"I know, Rossi. I will do my best."

They exited the elevator on the first floor of headquarters, but before they went their separate ways for the night, David put a reassuring hand on Emily's shoulder. "Take your time, but tell the team, okay? They are your family and you are going to need them. They'll want to be there for you."

Emily gave him a small smile.

As she walked to her car. Emily thought about what Rossi had just told her. She knew that he was right. The team would be thrilled about another little member. But she also knew that it would mean them all being overprotective and worrying about absolutely every move she made and then the questions about who the father was and that was something that might be hard to explain to everyone.

 _ *** Okay, so we still don't know who the father is (at least all of you don't) and that will take some time. But now Rossi knows about the baby and I think that some more of the team will find out in the next few chapters. Let me know what you thought! ***_


	3. Chapter 3

_*** Chapter 3! ***_

"We need to find this car. That's his comfort zone and if we can take that from him then we have the upper hand in stopping him."

Emily sat around a table in the Kansas City, Missouri precinct where their latest case was. Rossi and JJ were at the latest crime scene looking for anything they could find to help them track down their suspect. They had a name, they had a picture, yet the man they were after had somehow managed to avoid arrest for the last three days and in that time had killed two more people on top of the three that had already met his wrath.

"I just don't understand how we haven't found this guy yet. The whole city is on high alert. I mean I know we don't have a license plate or a description of the car, but he can't really be that smart that absolutely no one has seen him." Tara said as she flipped through the case file looking for something she missed.

Emily shook her head. "I wish I could explain it." She had more to say, but the unit chief's phone rang. The caller ID said it was JJ.

The team talked quietly among themselves as Emily talked to JJ. They did their best to listen but they couldn't quite pick up on what information she was being told.

"We may have something." Emily told them all when she hung up the phone. "JJ and Rossi found a witness who saw the car that the unsub was in. She can only remember three of the letters from the license plate, but Garcia is going through all the possibilities and narrowing it down to people with past offenses both in and out of cars."

Their most current suspect was taking his victims and torturing them before he would force them to stand in front of his car as he ran them over. It was sadistic to say the least.

Emily's phone rang again this time it was Garcia. She answered the phone, putting it on speaker. "What do you have for us, Garcia?"

"Okay, so there are a few different vehicles that fit the description of a truck with those letters in the license plate. However, there are only two men with those trucks that have past records. But I am going to say that Alan Moore is your guy. He matched the description and when he was 16 he was involved in a hit and run, as in he was the one who was hit by the car."

"That has to be him. That would explain his rage and obsession with running his victims over." Derek commented.

"Garcia do you think that you can track him for us?" Emily asked her.

"I will certainly try." They could hear the technical analyst typing away, before she responded. "I have his cellphone. I am sending you the coordinates right now."

"Thank you baby girl." Derek and the rest of the team would be nothing without Garcia.

Emily hung up her phone and five minutes later the team was out the door, Kevlar vests on, getting into their black SUVs. Derek and Emily led, followed by Reid and Lewis. JJ and Rossi were meeting them where Garcia had told them Alan Moore's cell phone was.

Emily was on the phone with Reid. "You guys head straight to the cell phone. We'll come around and hope that Moore is there."

Morgan hit the gas pedal, breaking the speed limit by at least fifteen miles per hour. The motion of the car lurching forward so quickly, made Emily feel sick. She put a hand on top of her stomach that was covered by the bullet proof vest. If Morgan knew, there was no way that he would have let her into the car with him.

For the last month she hadn't said anything to anyone on the team. She knew Rossi was watching her carefully and he wasn't thrilled to still be the only one who knew of her impending motherhood. But every time Emily thought she was going to tell the team, something came up. They had been on cases for almost a straight month, she couldn't just show up to a round table and announce that she was pregnant while they were looking at crime scene photos.

The car turned a sharp corner and Emily looked back up. "Morgan, watch out!"

But it was too late. Before Derek could turn the wheel to get the SUV out of the way, the truck had collided with them. The sound of crunching metal was all that Emily remembered hearing and she felt the airbag deploy against her chest, but she had no time to think about what had happened before the world around her was black.

Not even a minute after the crash, was the rest of the team on the scene. Lewis got Alan Moore out of his car. He was unharmed, beyond pissed that he had been caught, but Tara had him under control and in cuffs. Rossi and JJ pulled up behind Morgan and Prentiss's car.

"Who's in there?" JJ asked Reid as she got out of the black SUV.

"Prentiss and Morgan." Reid yelled to her from where he stood.

"Shit." Rossi said to himself.

He and JJ ran to either door of the vehicle. They couldn't see much past the airbags. Jennifer could hear Morgan trying to talk to them, but from Emily's side of the car it was silent. Rossi knew that was not good.

"JJ can you see her?" Rossi yelled from the driver's side door.

JJ was doing her best to push back the air bag, but she wasn't having any luck. "I think she's unconscious."

"She hit her head." Morgan had found his voice and was doing his best to tell Rossi and JJ what had happened.

"Derek are you okay?" JJ could only see some of the man.

"I'm fine." Morgan assured her. "You need to worry about Emily."

"Ma'am do not move her."

JJ swung around to see a team of paramedics running toward her. They both looked prepared to do their jobs, but JJ didn't like being told what to do.

"I didn't move her. I can't even get to her because of the airbag. You need to get in there and get them out."

The paramedics worked as quickly as they could. One went to Morgan's side and deflated the airbag. He asked Morgan a few questions and checked him out to make sure that he was okay to get out of the car himself. He was slow to move, a little sore, but other than that and a cut on his arm that would require stitches, he seemed fine. Emily however was not as well off.

"On my count of three we move her to the gurney." The paramedic was talking to his partner.

They had put Emily in a neck brace to ensure that they didn't move her head in case of injury. From what they could see she had an open wound on her forehead, that was bleeding. She had a few other cuts and bruises, but they wouldn't know anymore until they got to the hospital.

They began to wheel her toward the ambulance, JJ following, when Rossi ran after them. He didn't want to do it, to say anything in front of the team, but the paramedics had to know that there was another complication.

"She's pregnant." He announced to them.

JJ whipped her head around. "Who's pregnant?"

"Do you know how far along she is, sir?" The head paramedic asked him.

"Three, four months I think. I'm not sure." Rossi explained.

"Rossi, what are you talking about?!" JJ stepped in front of him, forcing him to look at her.

"She wasn't ready to tell you yet." Rossi tried.

JJ shook her head, not accepting his answer. "Emily is pregnant? And you knew?"

"JJ it isn't like that. I found out by accident. She was trying to keep any of you out of this, but she needed some time."

JJ didn't say anything else. She didn't know what to say. She thought Emily was one of her best friends and she couldn't even tell her that she was pregnant. She thought that she had meant enough to the unit chief to be told that she was expecting. But now she felt like she was wrong about their relationship.

"We need to get to the hospital to be with her." Rossi walked back to their car.

Jennifer followed him, reluctantly.

Emily was still with the doctor when they all got to the Emergency Room. They stayed in the waiting room, while Reid went with Morgan to get his arm stitched up.

"Don't be mad at her. She wasn't trying to hurt you."

"Rossi, I'm not mad. I'm upset that I wasn't important enough to her. You knew but she couldn't tell me."

"You know that her intent was never to hurt. You have to know that, JJ. And Emily didn't want to tell me. I saw something and found out, so she had to admit it to me. If it hadn't been for that mistake, I know you would have been the first person she told."

"But she was working this whole time. What if something like this had happened and you weren't there to tell the paramedics? She knows that crazy things happen all the time."

Tara Lewis had been sitting silently listening to the conversation between Rossi and JJ. She was trying to figure out what they were talking about. "I hate to interrupt, but did I miss something important back there?"

Rossi and JJ turned to look at her, but Rossi spoke first. "Emily… She's pregnant."

By the look that flashed across her face, it was evident that Lewis was surprised. "Wow. She did a damn good job of hiding that from a bunch of profilers."

"She certainly did." Jennifer scoffed.

"Are you the FBI agents here for Ms. Prentiss?" A doctor, white lab coat and all, stood in the waiting room entrance, assuming that the only group of people in the room where there for his patient.

"Yes we are." Tara answered him.

"How is she?" Rossi asked.

"She's fine." The doctor told them. "She does have a concussion that we are a little worried about and we had to stitch up the cut on her forehead. Other than that everything checked out. She will be a little sore from the crash and in the places where the airbag hit her. We're going to keep her for the night for observation."

"And the baby?" JJ surprised both Tara and Rossi by asking the question.

"The baby is absolutely fine. The OB found a strong heartbeat. There is nothing to worry about there."

"Is she awake?" Rossi wanted to see her for herself.

"She is. She's a little groggy from the meds that we have given her, but I'm sure that she would like to see you."

"Do you mind if I go in there first?" JJ looked to Rossi and Tara when the doctor left.

"Go see her." Rossi encouraged.

JJ walked slowly down the hospital hallway toward the room that Emily had been moved to. She was still upset, but when the doctor had come to tell them that she was fine, she was so relieved to hear that Emily was okay that she was having a hard time staying angry. Emily had become family and she never wanted to see her get hurt.

She carefully opened the door to the hospital room. Emily opened her eyes to see who was coming in.

"Did I wake you up?" JJ shut the door quietly behind her.

Emily shook her head back and forth. "You can't sleep in hospital beds."

"Why didn't you tell me?" JJ didn't take any time before she asked the question that she needed an answer to.

Emily should have known it was coming. The whole team probably knew about the baby now.

"I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me, Emily?"

"I wasn't trying not to. I wanted you to know so badly, JJ. But I was so scared when I found out. I thought that if I kept it to myself, maybe things would stay the same for a little bit longer."

"I would have been here for you, Em. You don't think I was scared when I found out I was pregnant the first time? I was terrified. I know how hard it is, especially with this job. You could have told me. I understand what you are going through."

"I really am sorry. I wanted to have someone to talk to, I did. I just couldn't handle it myself at first. All I kept thinking about was how much this was going to change my life and all of your lives."

"You didn't need to worry about us. We will be just fine. We have plenty of people on this team to fill in for you when the time comes. This is about you and this baby."

"I know. I should have told you, JJ."

"Well, I guess, that I know now."

"Yes you do." Emily gave her a relieved smile, hoping to ease the tension.

"And Em?" The brunette looked up to her blonde counterpart. "Congratulations."

 _ *** Just a little drama. Per usual, let me know your thoughts! ***_


	4. Chapter 4

_*** Here we are with chapter 4. Read away! ***_

Emily tugged at her dress. She had spent over an hour looking for something appropriate to wear to dinner at Rossi's and the only think she could settle on was a grey, fitted cotton dress.

She had bought the dress with the intentions of wearing it that summer when and if she had a day off from work and could actually go out and spend some time in DC and when she wasn't pregnant. But now she was trying to get ready for dinner at Rossi's in the middle of March. It was an unusually warm spring day in the city and she knew that if she put on any other attire she would be uncomfortable. But now, as she examined herself in the mirror, all she could see was how much the dress accentuated her small baby bump. The whole team would be at dinner and the last thing she wanted was everyone staring at her stomach.

It wasn't like the team didn't know that she was pregnant. After the car accident, the word spread and by the time they got back to headquarters, Emily was sure that the whole bureau knew she was having a baby. But she hadn't been showing it off since that day. She would always opt for loose shirts that hid the small bump she had. The dress made her feel exposed. Like she was actually admitting to everyone that she really was pregnant.

She wanted to change, but when she checked the time on her phone, she saw that she was already fifteen minutes late and she had a missed call from Rossi and messages from JJ.

Twenty minutes later, Emily was knocking on David Rossi's front door. It was answered by none other than the host himself.

"Nice of you to join us, Emily." He winked at her, giving her a hard time for being the last to show up.

"How about you just take the wine I brought and forget about me being so late?" Emily held up the botte of red.

Rossi took it and examined it. "I suppose we can work that out."

Emily walked into the house, or more exactly, the mansion. She could hear everyone in the living room and kitchen down the entryway hallway. It was a Sunday family dinner as Rossi had called it, so the whole team and all of the kids were there. The happy shouts and giggles from the smallest members filled the house with joy.

She started down the hallway toward everyone, but she stopped herself. This was the first time they had all been together since the accident, since everyone found out about the baby. It had been mentioned a few times, but each time, Emily did her best to avoid the conversation because she wasn't ready to have it with everyone. Now she knew that she wasn't going to be able to change the subject. There wouldn't be a new case or present case that she could defer to when she didn't want to talk.

With a deep breath, Emily went the rest of the way into the kitchen. Savannah sat at the island listening to Rossi share his recipe. Hank sat at her feet, enthralled by a brightly-colored, plastic toy. JJ, Penelope, and Tara sat in the living room. Morgan, Will, and Reid were in the backyard with JJ's sons.

"You can come in, Em. None of us will bite." JJ could see that her friend was hesitant.

"I think I would know if any of you bit by now." Emily joked, trying to deflect from herself.

She came all the way in, stopping in the kitchen to see what Rossi was cooking. It smelled delicious. Rossi had already set out some hors d'oeuvres and Emily filled a plate with a few of each.

"I'm glad to see that your appetite is back." Tara commented when Emily walked into the living room.

Emily turned red with embarrassment when she realized how much she had actually put on her plate. "Yeah I guess so."

"Don't be embarrassed. It's a good thing that you're hungry. Especially since I'm pretty sure you've eaten almost nothing in the last couple of months." JJ had been there for a few different bouts of Emily's morning sickness, which was more like all day sickness.

"Please let's try to forget all the times you have seen me throw up." Emily took a seat next to Garcia.

"Oh I will happily forget what I have seen of you in the bathroom in the morning." Penelope chimed in having seen as much as JJ.

"Okay, okay." Emily stopped them. "Enough about my bodily functions. What I really need to know is how Morgan talked Reid into playing football?"

They all turned to watch Spencer try and catch the pass Morgan had thrown to him. Being Dr. Spencer Reid, he completely missed, tripping over his own feet while doing so. A sheepish looked covered his face, as Derek just laughed at his friend.

"I think it's because Henry asked him to play with them and we all know that Spence isn't good at saying no to that kid." JJ chuckled at the whole ordeal, feeling bad for Reid.

"What a sport." Tara said.

"You got that right." JJ told her. "Henry is lucky to have him. All the kids are."

"Yes they are. And they are also very lucky to have their aunt Penelope. Especially this new little one." Penelope placed a gentle hand on Emily's stomach, giving it a rub. "When am I going to be able to feel this baby?"

Emily did her best to hide her discomfort; she hadn't quite gotten used to the touching of the bump yet, but she knew Penelope only did it out of love. "Soon, Pen. I promise that you will be the first to know."

"Wait that brings up a more important question. When are you going to find out if this baby is a boy or girl. I feel the need to shop coming on." Garcia always had her priorities straight.

"I hate to break it to you, but…" Emily started but was cut off by Penelope.

"No. You're going to make me buy gender neutral gifts again? You know how hard that was. Now I'm going to have to buy everything in two colors and then wait until the baby is here to take back all the things you can't use."

"So am I hearing this correctly? Emily Prentiss is going to be surprised?" JJ wasn't sure she believed it.

"I thought you didn't like surprises?" Tara was confused, because since joining the team that was one thing she knew for sure: Emily was not a fan of surprises.

Emily threw her hands up in defeat. "I know, I know. But I decided that this was a surprise I could handle. At least for now; we've got a lot of time before I actually have this baby."

"Maybe this will finally be the little girl the team needs." Tara laughed.

"Don't hold your breath." JJ warned her. "If this team has one talent it is having boys."

Someone's ringing cell phone interrupted their conversation. They all checked their phones, but of course it was Emily's. She swore that since becoming unit chief her phone was constantly going off with calls, messages, or emails.

"Hello." She answered as she walked back down the hallway for a little privacy.

JJ watched her closely. It was Sunday night and she knew that things came in at all times, but for some reason she had a feeling that this call was a little more personal than professional. And as soon as Emily hung up and looked at her she knew that whatever the call was regarding it was not good.

"Emily what's wrong?" JJ ran to her friend who seemed stunned.

"Hotch." Was all that Emily could get out of her mouth.

"What about Hotch?" JJ pressed her.

Emily just shook her head. Her shaking hand held her phone while her other went immediately to her stomach.

"What happened to Hotch, Emily?" JJ was becoming scared.

"He was… he was… shot." Emily had never struggled with a sentence more.

"Damn it." JJ left Emily to tell the rest of the team. She gathered up everyone. Will and Savannah offered to stay with the kids while the rest of the team got to the hospital. Rossi called for the jet as it would be much faster to get to him that way than by car; he was hours away now.

"Em we have to go." JJ spoke to her, but Emily didn't even react. "Emily we have to go."

She just nodded and JJ followed her out of the door. The blonde knew that they all cared about Hotch, but she had never seen Emily react so horribly to something happening to someone on the team. She was usually the first to keep everyone else in line.

Emily said nothing the whole car ride to the jet. She stared out the window and her hand never left her stomach.

"Is she okay?" Tara asked JJ just before take-off.

JJ looked at Emily, who sat at the other end of the plane alone. "I don't know. Something is wrong, but she won't say what it is."

"We can't just let her be alone down there." Penelope said.

"Yes we can. She'll shut down even more if we push her." JJ knew she needed her space and right now they all needed to get to Hotch. "We need to give her some time."

The plane ride felt like it went by in the blink of an eye.

But it wouldn't matter how fast they got to the hospital where Hotch was. They were too late.

His doctor met them in the hallway outside of what had been his room. He knew they were coming and he knew that he needed to be the one to tell them before they found out by entering the now empty hospital room.

"No. No." Penelope cried.

JJ hugged her, doing her best to comfort her and herself.

Reid looked heartbroken and Rossi and Morgan were trying to hold in their emotions, trying to be the strong men for the team even though they were just as upset as everyone else.

Hotch was family. Whether he was with the team recently or not, he was always important to them and now he was gone. It felt like a piece was missing from all of their lives.

Emily was completely overwhelmed. She felt like her whole world was tumbling down around her and she didn't know what to do. But soon she found herself running from the rest of the team to the nearest bathroom.

"Em?" JJ walked in a few minutes later to find Emily sitting on the bathroom floor.

But instead of getting a reply, Emily leaned over and lost the rest of her stomach contents in the toilet.

"Em… was Hotch…?" JJ was pretty sure she already knew that answer. When they got on the plane it dawned on her why Emily would react that way that she did. She knew they had secretly seen each since Emily took Hotch's position as unit chief.

Emily looked up at her and nodded. She didn't want to admit it. She felt like an idiot for being able to say yes to JJ's question. She had gotten pregnant after a one-night stand with her former boss and now she was sitting on the bathroom floor of hospital sick to her stomach over his death. It was all too messed up.

"Why didn't you tell me?" JJ asked her.

"Because I didn't even want to admit it to myself." Emily said quietly.

JJ put her hands out and Emily took them. JJ pulled her up to her feet slowly, making sure that she wouldn't be sick again. She helped Emily clean up a bit.

"How did it come to this?" Emily said it out loud but it seemed like a question for herself.

"Did he know?" JJ couldn't help herself from asking.

"No. And I was never going to tell him."

"Why not? Em, he would have wanted to know."

"I know… I know. But he had this whole new life. The last thing he needed was me and this baby to make him have to come back. And Jack needed him; he doesn't have anybody else. This baby had me, even if that means they got the bad end of the deal, but Jack only had his father and he deserved all of his attention. I just couldn't… I couldn't ruin his life by telling him." For the first time since she had gotten the news, Emily felt the tears streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Em." JJ pulled her in, feeling her body shake with sadness.

 _ *** There you have it. Some more drama and now we know where Hotch is. I wanted Hotch to be the father, but I didn't want to write a story about him and Emily as a couple, so this is what I went with instead. I hope you all like it. Let me know what you think! ***_


	5. Chapter 5

_*** Chapter 5! Ready away. ***_

"Can't sleep?" JJ asked as she made her way toward Emily, doing her best not to wake any of the other team members.

Emily shook her head. "This baby won't stop moving long enough for me to sleep." Her hand rubbed the under-side of her stomach that the baby was using as its punching bag.

"Wait, you didn't say anything about them kicking. How long have they doing it? Garcia will be real mad if you kept this from her."

Em laughed, remembering her promise to Garcia. "It started the day we left for this case. I just didn't say anything because it didn't really seem like the appropriate thing to bring up while we were profiling a killer."

"Well you still could have said something earlier. But I remember Henry and Michael both spending all night kicking me." JJ recalled.

"Usually they aren't moving like this at night. During the day yes, but so far I've been able to sleep." Emily stopped for a second, feeling the baby. "But it looks like those days might be numbered already."

"Well I would ask to feel, but I will not to do that to Garcia."

"She will have your head if you got to feel this baby move before her." Emily did not want to deal with the wrath of the technical analyst.

They both sat in silence for a moment. JJ watched as Emily moved her hand across her stomach, trying to ease the baby's movements. It was weird, thinking that she was going to be a mom in a few short months, but JJ knew she would be ready. She had seen her with her own children enough to know what a great mom Emily would be, even she didn't think so herself.

"Are you doing okay otherwise? You know after everything." JJ hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Emily about Hotch much since it happened. They had all taken a week off afterwards and in the following five weeks there hadn't been much time to do anything but work and use the days off that they did get to the best of their ability. Emily had been a little more withdrawn, but after the scene in the bathroom she had kept her composure, at least in front of the team.

It turned out that Hotch had been involved in a burglary. Nothing spectacular, nothing job related. Some crazy man with a gun had robbed a convenience store that was attached to the gas station Hotch had just so happened to stop at. The team was surprised to say the least; they even spent a couple says looking into the shooter wondering if he had some kind of connection to Hotch, something that would make him want revenge on their former unit chief. But they came up with nothing.

As horrific and devastating as it was, the whole team couldn't get over the irony that after years of working with serial killers, Hotch lost his life doing some menial, every day activity.

It seemed so unfair, not heroic enough for the man.

Emily sighed, not wanting to answer her question, but also not wanting to avoid it. "I guess so. Some days I feel like I'm missing something and other days nothing feels different. I had decided weeks before, that he wouldn't know about the baby and afterwards I thought maybe I would feel like this baby had something taken from them that they didn't deserve to lose and they probably did. Hotch would have been a great dad, he was a great dad, but all of this was always on me."

"You never wanted him to know?"

"No. At first… I did and then I just knew that I couldn't put this on him."

JJ was trying her best to understand where Emily was coming from. She couldn't imagine finding out she was pregnant and not telling the father that he was going to have a new son or daughter, but it was Emily's life, not her own. She just had to support her as best she could.

"Look, I am going to call Penelope and have her meet us at my place when we land and we can make breakfast and just have an hour or two to ourselves." The blonde decided.

"You don't have to do…"

But JJ cut her off. "Nope. We all need some time outside of the office. Will and the boys will be at work and school by then and the quiet house will be ours."

"Okay. I'm in." Emily agreed.

Penelope didn't even hesitate when JJ asked her to come over and Tara was up for a meal that she didn't have to have alone. The three woman got off the plane and stopped at the grocery story, picking up the essential for breakfast. Penelope met them at JJ's house, bringing with her champagne and orange juice to really top of the morning, as she so put it.

"Sorry Em, I didn't even think through this." Garcia stopped pouring the mid drink.

"Don't worry about it Garcia." Emily assured her. "Alcohol is great and all but all I miss is being able to drink more than one cup of coffee a day."

"And the next time that you get to do that again, you'll be wishing that you had an endless supply because that baby is waking you up five times a night." JJ warned her.

"Great. Remind me again why I decided to do this?" Emily joked.

"Look, when it all gets to be too much, Aunt Penelope will come over and spoil her niece or nephew while mama gets some sleep. My only condition is that I get do whatever I want with the baby, no parental interference." Garcia handed the drinks to JJ and Tara and gave Emily a plain cup of orange juice.

"Give me a few months and I might just take you up on that offer, Pen."

"Here's to a day off and baby Prentiss." Garcia lifted her glass, everyone followed suit.

"And to a meal that isn't take out from some crappy place closest to the precinct." They all laughed at how true Tara's statement was.

"Thanks for doing this JJ." Emily said.

"Don't even mention it. I can't remember that last time we all got together, no men, no kids."

"Well not no kids." Emily rubbed a hand over bump, the baby kicked her response. Her eyes flashed up to Penelope. "Pen come here."

Emily sat up a little, moving her hand around to see if she could feel the baby. Of course now that she wanted to let Aunt Penelope feel them, the baby was not cooperating.

"Am I missing something?" Penelope stood in front of her.

Emily grabbed her hand and put it where her own had been. Emily could feel the baby kicking against Garcia's hand. The woman's whole face lit up when she realized.

"You wanted to be the first to feel."

"When did this happen?"

"The day we left for the case." Emily explained

"Wait, you have been with the whole team since this started. I'm supposed to believe that you waited for me?" Penelope looked to Tara and JJ.

"I promise you I felt nothing." Tara swore.

"And I told Emily I would wait until after you." JJ promised.

Penelope looked to Emily. "Thank you."

"Of course." Em gave her a loving smile.

"Okay, now you two need to get over here and feel this magic." Penelope told JJ and Tara.

JJ stepped right in, running her hand across Emily's stomach until the baby kicked her hand. Tara hesitated, however. She felt like even though she was a part of the team, she wasn't quite as close with all of them.

"Tara come on." Emily encouraged her. She was already covered in hands, what was one more set.

Tara came closer, just gently resting a hand among the others. But Emily grabbed it a placed it where she had just felt the baby kick. She pressed on top of Tara's hand and could feel when the baby kicked in response to the pressure.

"Okay. I will admit that was pretty cool." Tara said to Emily.

"They're just saying hello to their Aunt Tara."

Tara looked at Emily, confirming that she had heard her right. It wasn't that she didn't have her own family, but they weren't in DC and her job didn't allow for a lot of traveling to see them. So she was grateful for the team allowing her to join them. But in that moment, she finally felt like she belonged.

"Okay, I like the sound of Aunt Tara." Lewis admitted.

They all contributed to the making of breakfast. Soon after they had all been feeling baby Prentiss, the dining room table was filled with food and everyone dug in.

"I can't even remember the last time I had a real breakfast like this. I don't think bowls of cheerios really count as a balanced meal." JJ said as she grabbed another piece of bacon.

"I have been craving pancakes for weeks now." Emily poured her syrup. "I swear that this baby only loves carbs. I will be the size of a house before this pregnancy is over."

"Stop it. You haven't even gained ten pounds, Emily." JJ scoffed at her.

"It will catch up with me." Emily smirked at her.

"Whatever." JJ just rolled her eyes.

They all laughed. And continued to laugh as they ate. They were all like sisters and time spent together was always entertaining.

"Emily stop it. We can clean this up and you can just put those pretty little feet of yours up." Penelope grabbed the plates that Emily was carrying into the kitchen.

"Penelope I can handle helping with dishes." Emily tried to grab the plates back.

"I don't want to hear an argument out of you." Penelope took the plates. "Take a seat mama."

Emily gave up and went to the bathroom to clean up a bit. She wasn't going to argue with Penelope, even if she didn't want to be treated like a child. The woman would only have it her way, anyway.

It had been twenty minutes since Emily disappeared to the bathroom and JJ was worried about what she could possibly be doing in there for so long. But just as JJ went to knock on the door, it flew open.

"Emily what's wrong?" Her face was pale and she was shaky.

"I'm… Something's wrong." Emily could barely speak. "I'm bleeding."

JJ's eyes widened in realization. "Okay. Okay. Let's get you to the hospital."

The blonde helped her down the hallway toward the front door. She grabbed Emily's jacket for her as Tara and Penelope came out of the kitchen. They both had questioning looks in their eyes.

"We have to get her to the hospital." Was all that JJ told them.

Neither questioned it. They got their things together, everyone making sure they had what Emily would need. Everyone got into JJ's SUV. Emily did her best to stay calm as her friend drove as fast as she could to the hospital. The car was silent, though.

Penelope helped Emily into the emergency room and JJ and Tara went to go park the car. Emily did her best to explain what was happening to the nurse when they walked in, but her voice was still shaking.

"Okay, hunny. Let's get you in a room." The nurse was an older woman who was very sweet and very understanding of how worried Emily was.

By the time JJ and Tara made their way through the Emergency Room doors, Penelope had returned to the waiting room.

"Where's Emily?" JJ asked her.

"They took her back to a room. But I had to leave while the doctor was in there with her." Penelope had not wanted to leave her friend; it was more like leaving her own sister when she needed her most.

JJ and Tara plopped down into seats on either side of Penelope. They knew they were in for a waiting game now. All they could hope was that Emily and the baby would be alright.

 _ *** Cliffhanger. It can't all be sunshine and rainbows; we have to keep it interesting. Let me know what you thought, pretty please! ***_


	6. Chapter 6

_*** I hope you all are still enjoying this story. Here's a new chapter! ***_

"We've been here for hours now. What is taking so long?" Penelope had stopped sitting quietly and was now pacing the waiting room.

"It's not even been an hour yet, Penelope. You've got to calm down." JJ told her.

The three woman were doing their best to wait patiently, but they all just wanted to know what was going on with Emily. Sitting in the waiting room made them just think about the worst possible scenarios.

"Are you the three here for Emily Prentiss?" A nurse, one that was different from the older woman who had taken Emily back, approached them.

"We are." Tara shot up from her seat, followed by JJ, and Penelope stopped pacing.

"The doctor asked me to come get you. He's checking on another patient quickly but he'll be free to talk to you in just a few minutes."

The women followed the nurse down a hallway. They passed the emergency room completely and were led into an elevator. "She was moved to the maternity floor." The nurse explained when they exited on the third level. The continued down another hallway before they stopped at nurses' station. "Wait right here for just a minute and I'll let the doctor know that you are here."

Five minutes later, even though it felt much longer, a male doctor came up to them. "You must be here for Emily Prentiss."

"We are. What's going on?" Penelope asked, tired of waiting for answers.

"Ms. Prentiss is just fine."

"She is?" JJ asked.

"Yes. Usually when we see bleeding this late in a pregnancy, it's concerning. But we can't find anything wrong or anything that would indicate a bigger problem. I have let her OB know what happened and she will have a follow appointment with her to make sure, but I think she will be just fine."

"So the baby is okay too?" Tara confirmed.

"Yes. Our OB on call came and did an ultrasound, the heartbeat is strong and Ms. Prentiss said she was feeling the baby move, so that's a good sign."

"When can she come home?" Jennifer was worried that Emily would go home to her empty apartment, without anyone there if something else happened.

"Probably tomorrow morning. I want to watch her overnight and make sure that she doesn't start bleeding again. Is there someone that can go home with her or she can go home with? I think for the next few days it would be good if someone was with her in case something else happens, just until she sees he doctor and is cleared."

"She's more than welcome to come stay with me." Tara offered.

"Are you sure? I mean I can ask Will, I don't think he will mind."

"No, don't worry about it." Tara confirmed her offer. "I have my house all to myself, there is plenty of room for her."

"Wherever she can go is good. It should only be for a couple days." The doctor was glad that Prentiss had so much support.

"Okay, so can we go see her?" Penelope was tired of waiting.

"Yes, but just be quiet when you go in. She was resting when I last left, but I'm sure that she'll be happy to see all of you."

They walked down the hallway a little ways and came to Emily's room. JJ opened the door, peaking her head around to see if she was sleeping or not, but Emily turned her head at the sound of the door and gave her a small smile.

"Hey." JJ said softly, opening the door the rest of the way; Penelope and Tara followed her inside. "Are you feeling okay?"

Emily nodded, sitting up in her bed. "Just don't really want to be in this bed until tomorrow."

"That's not surprising." Penelope chuckled.

"Well I told the doctor that you could come stay with me when he discharges you." Tara explained.

"You didn't have to do that." Emily felt guilty. She was a grown woman; she didn't need a babysitter or to make anyone from the team feel like they had a responsibility to her. "I'm sure I will be fine if I go home."

JJ shook her head. "You aren't going to find out."

"Seriously, Emily. I have a whole house to myself. There is more than enough space for both of us and I won't be able to live with myself if something happens to you because you went home alone."

"Alright, alright. But only because it will make all of you happy." Emily agreed, quite thankful that she had someone cared enough about her to let them stay with them.

By the time ten am the next morning rolled around, Emily was signing discharge papers. JJ had brought her a change of clothes and the other essentials she needed for the next few days at Tara's. She wasn't sure what she would do if it wasn't for her team.

"Do you need to get anything on the way home? I picked up so groceries last night so there was some actual food in the house, but I didn't know exactly what you might want." Tara put Emily's bags in the backseat of her car, before sliding into the driver's seat.

"I'm sure that whatever you got will do." Emily already felt like a burden and she hadn't even gotten to Tara's house. "You didn't have to go to the trouble."

"I know. But you need to take it easy for a few days and I just want to make sure that you can do that. After that I will go back to listening to you, unit chief." Tara gave her a knowing look, like she understood how hard it was for Emily to accept help.

When they got to Tara's house, which Emily hadn't actually ever been to, Lewis carried in her bags and showed her to the guest bedroom. It was a smaller home, but still had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which was right next to Emily's bedroom. Tara continued the tour showing her the kitchen and living room and the family room.

"Whatever is in the fridge is yours and if there's anything that you want to watch on TV go for it." Tara told her.

"This place is great." Emily looked around, admiring Tara's decorating style.

Tara just kind of laughed at Emily's comment. "Well it's no inner-city brownstone, but it does the trick."

"Well at least your house has some character. Mine still looks like its staged for sale. And it must be kind of nice to be out of the city and have a little peace and quiet. Are the school districts good?"

"You thinking about moving after the baby is born?" Tara asked, unsure whether the question had been a joke or not.

"Probably not, but its crossed my mind a few times. It might be nice to have a yard and neighbors."

Tara nodded understandingly. "I'm going to make some coffee. Would you like that one cup your allowed?" Tara turned to ask Emily as she walked into the kitchen.

"Yes please." Emily followed her.

Tara worked quickly. Emily sat down on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. She adjusted her position, placing a hand on her stomach, feeling the baby continually move around.

"Cream or sugar?" Tara set a cup of steaming coffee in front of Emily.

"Just some cream please." Emily's hand continued to rub small circles around where the baby was kicking.

Tara handed Emily the cream. "Baby moving again?"

"Thank you." Emily took the half and half. "She just can't seem to get comfortable in there."

"She?" Tara caught the slip quickly.

"Oh I didn't mean that." Emily had also noticed her mistake after she used the pronoun, but it was too late. "I still don't know."

"So it's just a hunch?"

"I guess you could call it that. Mother's intuition, maybe. I don't really know."

"Maybe someone wants a little girl?" Tara pressed her for an answer.

"I don't know. I just want to deliver a healthy baby, at this point."

"Over being pregnant already?" Tara didn't want to seem like she was intruding on Emily's personal life, she was just curious.

"A little, I won't lie. But mostly I'm just ready to meet this little person who is invading my body. There's just so many questions, you know? Like what they'll look like, what their personality will be." Emily explained. "And what kind of mother I'm going to be." She added.

"A great one, I'm sure."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me, but I didn't have the best role model growing up so I'm not sure how true that will be."

"You really think that you could fail at any of this? I've seen you with the kids on this team."

"Yeah but they aren't my own. I don't have to take them home and feed them and discipline them. It's just so much different to spend time with your friends' kids, rather than having your own. And it's also hard when your friends are JJ and Morgan. Those two were made to be parents; they always knew that they wanted to have kids and families. I can't say that I ever wanted this for sure. I thought a lot about it and there were a lot of times where I couldn't imagine not starting a family, but something would always screw it up. And then this job just goes to show you all the messed up shit that's going on in the world and you can't help but wonder why you would ever subject a child to all of it."

"I understand that. I can't imagine taking some of this work home with you to see your kid. But you have to trust that because of what you've seen, you'll be an even better parent. You'll be able to protect them. You'll be able to understand so much of what's going on in the world that they have to live in."

"You don't think it will just make me paranoid?"

"Yeah, it probably will." Tara knew if she was a mother she would be paranoid. "But I know that you won't let that run your household. Emily, you've got this. You just have to believe that."

Emily stared into her coffee mug, thinking about everything that she had just admitted to her team member. She hadn't known Tara for long, but something about the woman just made her feel comfortable enough to share all the things she hadn't told anyone else on the team.

"Do you mind if I go take a shower?" Emily looked up at Tara after a few minutes of silence.

"You don't have to ask." Tara wanted her guest to feel as at home as possible. "You know where the bathroom is and all of the towels in there are clean and there for you to use."

Emily got off the stool, placing her now empty coffee cup in the kitchen sink. "Thanks again for all of this."

"Stop." Tara put a hand up when Emily tried to speak again. "This is no problem. You are not an intrusion."

"I'm sorry." Emily sulked.

"You don't have to be sorry, just stop thanking me. This is the least I can do." Tara softened.

Emily slowly took the steps up to the bathroom, still a little tired from the traveling for the case and all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She grabbed some fresh clothes from her room and then went into the bathroom. She took her time in the steaming hot shower, washing the hospital smell off that she felt she had brought with her, even from just her short stay. She couldn't help but look around at her unfamiliar setting and wonder what she possibly would have done if she hadn't been back with her team. If any of this had happened while she was at Interpol, she might have had Mark, but she certainly wouldn't have had six friends who would help no matter the circumstances. As the hot water flowed from the shower head, Emily finally realized that coming back to the team was the best decision she had made.

When she got out, clean and changed, she found Tara downstairs at the table working on some paperwork.

"Do you ever stop?" Emily asked her.

Tara looked up, not realizing that Emily had come back. "I was really just trying to find something to keep me busy."

"Would you mind if I made some dinner?" Emily was itching to do something and because she was eating for two, food was always on her mind.

"Only if there will be enough for both of us." Lewis smirked at her.

Emily laughed. "Okay, that I can do."

 _ *** So a little fluffy, but I really like Tara's character and I want to build her relationship with Emily and the team in this story. With that being said, I also want to work with Emily and Rossi's relationship, so watch for that. Leave your reviews and thoughts for me please! ***_


	7. Chapter 7

Emily sat on the hard exam room table, shifting as she tried to get comfortable while she waited for her doctor. The older woman was with another expectant mom and Emily was trying her best to be patient, but all she wanted to do was leave.

"Hi Emily." Her doctor suddenly came through the door.

Emily felt as though she had seen her doctor every day since her bleeding scare over a month ago, but really it had only been every two weeks. She was cleared for duty at her first appointment afterwards, though she had to continue to check in with Dr. Warner.

"How are you feeling today?" Dr. Warner sat down on the rolling stool, making her way toward Emily.

"Okay." Emily didn't sound convincing.

"Only okay?" Her doctor picked up on the tone she was using and she wasn't buying her answer.

Emily sighed. "I think I've started having those false contractions we talked about last time."

"You mean Braxton Hicks. Are they pretty uncomfortable or painful?"

"Just uncomfortable, but they're all in my lower back and I haven't been able to sit all day."

"I hate to tell you, but you'll have to put up with most of that until the baby is born. But sometimes walking or moving helps stop them. And if the pain in your back is really bad, a hot bath or shower can help, even a hot pad."

"Alright." Emily mentally logged her options hoping they would actually help.

"Now let's take a look at this baby." Dr. Warner stood up. "You know the drill already."

Emily rolled up her shirt, exposing her stomach. At thirty weeks she was starting to feel very large, although to look at her she was all baby bump. The doctor laid a towel at the base of her stomach and warned her that the gel was cold. She moved the ultrasound wand around.

"There is that little one again." Dr. Warner pointed to the screen where the black and white image shown.

Emily still couldn't get over how incredible it was to see her child. To watch them move on the screen, to be given new images of them every few weeks. Every time she would try to count all ten fingers and ten toes. She couldn't wait for her son or daughter to be in her arms, but for the time being, seeing them would be enough.

"Everything looks good." The doctor pulled away a few minutes later. "Let's schedule another appointment for three weeks out."

"Okay." Emily pulled her shirt back down, the once loose fitting top was now not so loose.

"And next time I want to talk to you about what you're planning on doing for maternity leave."

Emily tried to hide her annoyance about the topic. She knew that she couldn't be in the field when she got closer to her due date, but she wasn't going to stop working all together. She would go crazy if she had to sit at home and stare at the four walls waiting for her baby to arrive.

"I know that you don't want to have to deal with it, but we need to have a plan for you when the time comes. And trust me it will be that time sooner than you think."

"Does this mean that you're going to force me to stop working?" If Emily hadn't been going to the same OB for many years she wouldn't feel so comfortable asking such direct questions.

"No, Emily, I will not make you quit. But you are going to have to take some precautions the closer you get to your due date."

"Okay, okay. We can talk about." Emily got off the table.

"Yes we will. Now you can go schedule your next appointment and I will think about what you're going to have to do on your maternity leave." Dr. Warner joked.

Emily walked out of the office ten minutes later, the newest ultrasound photos of her baby in her hand. She slid into the driver's seat of her car and returned to Quantico. It was already late afternoon, but she had some work that she needed to pick up and take home to try to get done before they got called in on another case.

"Well isn't it the beautiful mom-to-be." Penelope greeted Emily as she walked into the bullpen. She and JJ sat next to each other at one of the desks.

"If by beautiful you mean swollen and feeling like a beached whale, then I guess so." Emily pouted.

"Stop it." JJ rolled her eyes. "You look great, Emily."

"I wish I could believe that, but this morning I went through three pairs of pants and two shirts to get dressed. I think beached whale is an appropriate description."

"That just means that you need to go buy yourself a few new things because you're growing human not because you're a whale." JJ corrected her.

"How about on a more uplifting topic, we discuss your baby shower." Garcia changed the subject, mostly because it was what she wanted to talk about.

Emily shook her head at just the mention of the words baby shower. "No. We have gone over this already, more than once. None of you need to throw me a baby shower."

"Why are you so set on skipping out on it?" JJ pressed her for an answer.

"Because it's a lot of work and we are all busy enough. The last thing either of you ladies, or anyone else on this team, need to be doing is spending their time on a party for me."

"But it isn't a party for you, it's a party to celebrate mini Prentiss." Garcia rubbed Emily's baby bump, the baby kicking against her hand.

"Well this baby will have plenty of time to be spoiled by all of you once they're here. For now, you guys can just forget about it."

Penelope looked at JJ. The two exchanged a look, neither one planning no pushing the subject anymore. They had plans of their own.

"Hey we need to go!" Rossi came jogging into the bullpen, a worried look on his face.

"Need to go where?" Emily asked him. "Rossi, what's going on?"

"Something happened to Reid." That was all that he needed to say for the ladies to grab their things and leave headquarters.

Emily got into the front seat of Rossi's car and JJ and Penelope filed into the back. They were silent for most of the ride. They didn't know what had happened to their teammate, but all of them were considering the worst possible scenarios because so many times before they had experienced the horrible. Emily did her best to think about any small thing that could be wrong, but everything led to something with only bad outcomes.

Rossi pulled into a parking spot outside of the Emergency Room. He came around trying to help Emily, but she shooed him away, telling him that he needed to go find Reid. The women followed a few feet behind Dave. In a way they were dreading finding out what happened to the man, but they also couldn't wait any longer to find out what had happened to their friend. When they finally were directed to Reid's room, they all met Derek and Will, both of them with the kids, outside of the room.

"You all came?" Derek asked, little Hank was in his arms.

"Will what are you doing here? And what are the boys here for?" JJ didn't understand how her husband was involved or why her kids were at the hospital.

"It's actually a funny story." Will said.

"You know that you didn't all need to be here right? I just called Rossi so that he knew." Derek told them.

Emily was confused by Derek's reaction. "What do you mean? What even happened to Reid?"

"He just broke his arm." Derek said casually.

"And how did that happen?" JJ looked between Will and Derek.

The two men shared a look with each other before they started laughing.

"Will you two please grow up and tell us how Reid broke his arm?" JJ was not having any of it.

"We may or may not have taken the kids to the park and played a game of football that got a little rowdy." Derek explained.

"Oh come one guys." Emily sighed, stifling a laugh. "Why do this to him?"

"We didn't do anything. Reid wanted to play, we told him that he didn't have to; we did not make him play. But little Spence just couldn't sit out." Derek felt bad for what happened to Reid, but he wasn't particularly surprised their game had ended that way.

"That's no excuse. We all know when it comes to sports, Spencer is like an uncoordinated five-year-old." Jennifer had watched Reid with her own children and knew his skill level.

"Actually, I think a five-year-old would have better coordination and skill than I did today." Spencer had come out of the room, a black plaster cast on his left arm.

"Oh Reid, are you okay?" Emily's motherly instincts kicking in when she saw his arm.

"I'm fine. It was really just a hairline fracture, nothing too serious. I'll be out of this cast in a month or so."

"That's good to hear, pretty boy." Derek patted his back.

JJ, Emily, and Garcia just rolled their eyes, annoyed that they had gotten so worked up.

"So this has been exciting and all," Rossi said to everyone. "But how about we call this hospital trip quits for the day since Reid is going to make a full recovery and go back to my place for dinner. Whatever Reid wants, I will make."

"If a meal is involved and Rossi is cooking, you can count me and this baby in." Emily agreed.

"Boys do you want to go to Uncle's Rossi's house for dinner?" JJ leaned down to her sons who were at Will's feet.

"Yes!" Henry replied for himself and his brother.

"Count us in." JJ told Rossi.

"I will call Tara and tell her to meet us at your house." Penelope said, knowing that the woman would be there without a second thought.

An hour later, Rossi's house was filled with noise, but it was welcome chaos. The kids played in the backyard. All of the adults were scattered in the living room and kitchen; everyone talking and drinking, except of course Emily. They all were grateful for the few hours to catch up on life outside of work.

"Okay, so have you started to think about names yet?" Savannah asked Emily.

The women stood around the kitchen Island, all of them taking turns feeling the baby move.

"Should I?" Emily looked at her and then JJ, who was just shaking her head.

"I mean only if you think you want something to put on that kid's birth certificate, Em." JJ laughed at her friend, not actually surprised that she hadn't even thought about thinking of names.

"I've got ten weeks still." Emily defended herself. "And I don't even know if it's a boy or girl."

"That's not the best excuse I've heard." Savannah poked at Emily.

"Come on. You can't tell me that you both had names already picked out for the boys."

JJ glanced at Savannah. "We actually both did."

"Great. Now my child is stuck with me for a mom and doesn't have a name."

"Okay, stop the dramatics. Emily, we're just giving you a bad time. You don't have to have that decided right this minute. Just something to consider."

"Wait, I do have an actual question." Emily started. "What do I actually need for when we come home? I was reading an article online that said I needed every expensive baby item there was and then I started to worry that I didn't have anything."

"First, don't believe everything you read online. They're just trying to sell you stuff." Savannah knew from experience.

"And secondly, what have you bought?" JJ quizzed her.

Emily gave her a sheepish grin.

"Emily, I don't think you're going to win." Tara chuckled, who had met the team at Rossi's just as Garcia has assumed she would.

"Oh Emily Prentiss we have so much to help you with." Jennifer smirked.

"Well the first thing that you can help me with is getting off this seat so I can go pee for the hundredth time today." Emily put out her hand, and JJ gave her a gentle tug helping her stand.

As Emily headed down the hall toward the bathroom, Savannah whispered to the other women. "She doesn't know does she?"

"Are we talking about the shower?" Tara confirmed.

JJ nodded at Tara. "She has no clue."

 _ *** So I am sure you all know what is to come and that will be the next chapter. Reviews are always appreciated! ***_


	8. Chapter 8

_*** A nice little update for this fine Friday. Enjoy! ***_

"JJ, tell me why we are doing this again?" Emily drug her feet as she followed her blonde friend to her car.

"Because we have the day off and because there will only be some many more days off that we both don't have children." JJ got into the driver's seat, Emily in the passenger.

"You do realize that we will still see each other, right?" Emily pointed out. "I have to call someone when I have questions about what to do when the baby won't stop crying and I've only slept for two hours."

JJ just rolled her eyes at the made-up scenario Emily described. "I know that we will see each other. But it's different when there is a newborn involved. I just wanted us to have some girl time before everything changes."

Emily sighed as she heard JJ say that. She knew that she was right, that once this baby was born, nothing would be the same. And it wasn't that Emily was thinking it was something negative, she just knew that her life wouldn't be all jet rides and cases and spending days with her team; they would soon be filled with feedings and changings and focusing on the newest little person in her life. A little person who was very close to meeting her mama.

"Well will you at least tell me where we are going?" Emily shifted in her seat anxiously as JJ drove.

"Can you ever just let someone else take the reins?" JJ huffed.

"Fine." Emily crossed her arms.

JJ continued to drive, before she pulled into the driveway of David Rossi's mansion. JJ stopped the car and got out. Emily followed her lead.

"Why are we at Rossi's?"

"You'll see."

"Wow, thank you for that very informative answer." The sarcasm dripping from Emily's words.

JJ just ignored her friend's complaint and continued to walk. Emily fell into pace next to her. JJ opened the front door that was unlocked and casually walked in.

"Really, JJ, why are we here?" Emily asked again.

JJ continued to ignore her as they made their way through Rossi's empty house.

"No one is even here. We can't just barge into Rossi's house like…"

But before Emily could finish her sentence, she had followed JJ into the backyard and her mouth dropped wide open when she saw what they were there for.

There were three round tables, small, white floral arrangements sitting in the middle of each one. Another table was filled with food and an ivory layered cake and sat off to the side. Along the row of bushes that lined the outskirts of Rossi's yard, silver balloons had been hung that read _Oh Baby_. It was a baby shower.

"There she is." Derek announced to everyone who was there.

Emily turned to look at JJ. "Jennifer Jareau, you did not do this."

She shrugged her shoulders, trying to hold back her smirk.

"Seriously, JJ? Did not listen to anything I told you."

The blonde still didn't answer, the smirk making its way across her lips.

"You certainly are pregnant, aren't you sweetie?" Elizabeth Prentiss approached her daughter.

"Mom." Emily tried to hide how surprised she was to see her mother. "You're here."

"Of course, I am." Elizabeth acted as if they had the most normal mother-daughter relationship. "I wouldn't miss your baby shower for the world."

"No, of course you wouldn't." Emily chuckled nervously.

Of course Emily's mother knew that she was pregnant; even though they didn't particularly get along, Emily wouldn't ever keep something so important from the woman. But the last place she had expected to see her mother was at the shower she wasn't expecting to have.

"Can I get you something sweetheart? Something to eat or drink?" Elizabeth was doing her best to pretend she was mother of the year.

"Umm… Just some water would be great, mother."

Elizabeth nodded and walked away to retrieve what her daughter had asked for. Emily waited until she was out of ear shot before she turned back to JJ.

"You invited my mother." Emily said dryly.

JJ gave her a very, large fake grin then continued to explain. "Look I know, okay? I just felt like I couldn't not invite her. You are her daughter and this is her grandchild. And honestly I assumed that she would be too busy to come."

"But she wasn't?"

"No she was going to be in DC anyway for something else, so she accepted the invitation right away."

"Heaven forbid she miss an opportunity to nag me about the choices I'm making in my life."

"I really am sorry."

"Don't be JJ." Emily assured her. "I never would have thought I was important enough for her to show up either."

"Okay, mama. Are you ready for the baby shower of your life?" Penelope came up to her.

Emily laughed at Penelope's choice of words to describe the party. "I think that even if I wasn't, you would make me be ready."

"You got that right." Garcia grabbed her hand and pulled her into the yard.

They spent the first hour and a half playing all of the shower games that Garcia could possibly come up with. Usually, Emily thought such games were trivial and cheesy, but it made Penelope extremely happy that she played along and watching the men, Derek, Spencer, and Rossi, play such girly games was entertaining for all of them.

"Alright, alright. It is time for the gifts." Garcia announced.

The bags and boxes of stuff had been left inside until it was time for it to be opened and when Emily saw the excessive number of gifts that were brought to her side where her chair was sitting.

"You all did not need to do this. The shower was enough." Emily said.

"Well it's too late now." Tara told her as she set a few more bags down. "And besides, from the last conversation we had, I'm pretty sure that you don't have anything."

"I can't argue that." Emily admitted.

Garcia brought a couple more gifts, handing one of them to Emily to open. She tore the tissue paper out of the bag and reached inside the bag. She pulled out the items from the bag: a soft yellow outfit, matching hat and booties. Emily ran her finger over the white embroidery, thinking about how her son or daughter would be little enough to fit into the outfit.

"I was going to buy it in blue and pink, but I figured yellow made more sense." Elizabeth explained to her daughter.

Emily should have known that the designer outfit was from her mother. "It's beautiful."

"Well only the best for my grandchild." Elizabeth chided.

Emily looked to JJ, who raised her eyebrows at Elizabeth's comment. The brunette just rolled her eyes.

As the shower went on, Emily continued to open her gifts. Her child's wardrobe continued to grow, everything gender-neutral colors. But it wasn't until the gifts from her team were opened, that Emily couldn't believe how lucky she was to have them. The biggest boxes, wrapped in bright polka dot paper that Emily was sure was courtesy of Penelope, were from the team. Inside the extensive wrap job was what Emily assumed was a rather expensive stroller. She gasped out loud when she opened it.

"You guys…" Emily felt guilty just looking at the box.

"You spoiled all the kids on this team yourself, Ms. Prentiss." Derek was referring to the gifts that she had sent to his own son. "We're just returning the favor."

JJ nodded in agreement. "I do recall quite a few gifts from a certain aunt at my baby shower and after both boys came home."

"Tell me what you want, but this is too much." Their unit chief looked utterly guilt ridden.

"Oh well, there's no return policy for it, so it looks like you'll be keeping it." Garcia told the mom-to-be. "Now open the other one."

Emily ripped the paper off to find the car seat that matched her stroller. She tried her best to hide the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She couldn't grasp how she had ended up with people who cared so much about her and her child. It wasn't that they had bought her such lavish gifts. It was that he had a family that would always be there for her, something she only dreamt of for so long.

"Thank you." She could barely get the words out.

The afternoon turned into evening and the only people left at Rossi's were the team. Elizabeth had to go to some important social gathering, but she had promised her daughter that she would see her in the next few days. The other guests had also left.

"Alright, Morgan, let's get cleaning." JJ patted him on the back,

"Why am I the one cleaning?" Derek questioned.

"Because you need to put those big muscles to work and help us put these tables away."

"If you need muscles than Rossi needs to help too." Derek tried to get out of it.

"Nope." Garcia cut him off. "We used Rossi's house, he's done his part."

Morgan gave up and followed the ladies. It left just Emily and Rossi sitting in the kitchen.

"Thank you for letting them do this here." She said to him.

"It was my pleasure." Rossi assured her. "But that does remind me that I have a little something else for you."

Rossi left for a minute and returned to the kitchen with a white envelope in his hand. He set it down in front of Emily, who was confused by what she had just been given. She picked it up and opened the seal. She had absolutely no words for what was inside.

"Now, I know what you're going to say. But everything you got today is for when they're a baby. I wanted to get them something that would come in handy down the line."

Emily's eyes went between the gift and Rossi. "I can't…"

"Yes you can." Rossi would not take no for answer.

It was a bank statement that showed the college fund Rossi had started for the baby with a rather large sum already deposited into it.

"If this child is anything like their mother, then they will end up at some expensive ivy league college, so I figure if we start now, then they'll be set when the time comes."

Emily wiped the few stray tears that were falling down her face. "I don't feel like thank you is enough, but thank you."

"You're welcome."

Emily took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "Can I ask you something? And you don't have to do this or anything."

"Why don't you ask me first and then I'll decide."

"Would you… would you be this baby's godfather?"

Rossi was a bit taken aback by the question. That wasn't what he had expected to be asked. "You really want me?"

"Why wouldn't I? You've done so much for me and this baby already."

"You don't think that someone else would be better at it."

"No I don't." Emily told him honestly. "You just started a college fund for my child. You're the one who holds this team together, who forces us to focus on ourselves. You're the head of this crazy family and no one else would do a better job."

"Then I would be honored." Rossi accepted.

"Good because this baby is going to need some extra guidance with me as their mother."

"You can't really believe that." Rossi said.

"I don't know. I've never been a parent before."

"No one has ever been a parent before they have their first child, but that doesn't mean that they don't know anything. Emily, you were meant to be a mother. This baby is lucky to have you, whether you think so or not. You can't expect yourself to know everything right away. It will be a learning experience. But you're ready for it."

"I'm scared." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I know you are. But that's normal. You just have to know that everything will be okay, better than okay. Everything will be great."

"What would I do without you Rossi?" Emily smiled at the older man.

"You would have to get all of your advice from someone else." Rossi suggested.

"Never." Emily said.

 _ *** So that was pretty fluffy, but I hope you all still liked it. Leave me your thoughts, pretty please! ***_


	9. Chapter 9

Emily rode the elevator up to the BAU alone. She was coming in late after having been at a doctor's appointment. Her and Dr. Warner had come to an agreement that she could have one more week of working before she needed to go on maternity leave. If Emily hadn't started to feel the toll of the pregnancy and working forty or more hour weeks, she would have fought harder to work until she delivered. But now she was looking forward to having a little time to prepare before the baby was born.

"Woah there mama. You look like you could have that baby today." Derek watched Emily walk into the bullpen.

Emily turned to give him a dirty look. "Thanks, Morgan. I didn't already think that I needed a wide load sign attached to my back, but now I think I should invest in one."

Spencer tried to hold back a laugh and Rossi just shook his head. Penelope slapped Derek on the shoulder.

"Did you even think about what you were saying before you opened your mouth?" JJ asked him.

"Obviously not." Tara answered for him.

Morgan pleaded his innocence. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Of course you didn't." Emily walked away, headed toward her office.

She was now completely aware of how huge she looked in the tight shirt that she had put on that morning. She didn't have anything else that fit this late in her pregnancy; Derek's comment made her want to turn around and go home to change. Usually a comment like that wouldn't bother her, but she was more self-conscious of her size than ever being less than a month away from her due date.

"What's her problem?" Derek watched as Emily marched off.

"It's not her problem, it's yours. She's hormonal and tired and she already feels ginormous without you telling her so." No one could emphasize with Emily more than JJ.

"I'll go apologize then." Derek got up.

But Penelope stepped in front of him. "The last person she wants to see is you. You can stay right where you are."

"I'll go check on her." JJ left the group, hearing Garcia start to scold Morgan even more.

She knocked quietly on Emily's closed office door before she opened it. Emily looked up to see who it was and her face softened when she saw that it was her friend.

"I'm sorry for how I acted." Emily told JJ.

"Do not apologize. Morgan was being an ass."

"But he's right. I look gigantic."

"Stop. Do not do that to yourself." JJ warned her. "What did the doctor say?"

"We decided that I can work for another week, to finish up what I need to. But I have to take it easy because she said that I could basically have this baby any day now."

"And she really agreed to you working another week?" JJ questioned.

"Well it took some convincing, but I need the time. I wasn't expecting it to come so soon and I have a lot to get done."

"You do know that we can handle whatever you can't finish. You don't have to kill yourself to get it all done in the next week."

"I know, but I kind of need something to distract me." Emily admitted.

"You'll be ready, Em."

"I hope so because I'm not right now."

JJ opened her mouth to comfort her friend, but she was interrupted by Tara. "I'm sorry to barge in, but we have a case. We're meeting in five."

"Okay, thanks Tara." Emily told her.

"How about you let Rossi head this case so that's it one less thing on your plate." JJ suggested after Tara left.

Emily considered it for a minute, before she agreed. "That's probably a good idea. I'll come hear the briefing, but Dave can take this one."

An hour later, Emily sat back in her office. The team had taken off on the jet to San Antonio, Texas where their latest case was. It had been over a month since Emily flew with the team; after her baby shower, her doctor had put a stop to it. She missed it, not while she was so pregnant, but back when it was still comfortable.

Speaking of comfortable, that was the last thing Emily was by early afternoon. Her back and hips ached from sitting for so long. She stood up from her seat, placing her hands in the small of her lower back. She tried to apply some pressure, but it didn't help to relive any of the pain. Emily walked out of the office, her hands still on her back, as she tried to walk off some of her discomfort.

However, she didn't make it very far before she found herself hunched over one of the desks in the bullpen, one hand gripping the desk and another on stomach. The pain become worse by the second.

She knew that this wasn't normal.

When the pain finally subsided, Emily looked up, trying to find someone. But the bullpen was empty except for one rookie who stood with his back to her.

"Hey, agent Powell." The young man swirled around to see who was calling his name. He could tell something was off and hurried over to her.

"What's the matter, ma'am?"

"Do not call me ma'am." Emily said. "I need you to go get technical analyst Garcia. She is in her office."

He nodded, accepting the task.

"And agent Powell?"

"Yes?"

"Please, tell her it's urgent."

A few minutes later, Penelope came rushing into the bull pen as fast her heels would allow her to. She found Emily standing up, her hands rubbing circles across her stomach, taking a few deep breaths as she did so.

"Okay, what can I do? Is it the case? Because I just talked to a certain tall, dark, and jerky handsome man who usually calls me when you guys need something. But if you need something, I can get that for you."

"Penelope." Emily cut her off.

"Sorry, rambling."

Emily opened her mouth to tell Garcia the real reason that she needed her, but she was stopped by another strong pain that took the breath right out of her. She leaned back over the desk, trying to work through it.

"Oh my god. You're in labor." Penelope realized.

Emily shook her head. "I… I might be."

"What do you mean you might be?" Penelope could clearly see that she was in denial about her current state. "Emily your hunched over a desk in an FBI office, barely talk able to tell me that you aren't actually in labor. It's sort of dead giveaway."

Emily took a deep breath. "Okay, okay. I'm probably in labor, Penelope. Does that make you happy?"

"Thank you, it does." The technical analyst grabbed her arm and helped her stand. "Now let's go because I am not helping you deliver this baby right here."

Emily felt like the world around her was a blur as Penelope drove to the hospital. Her head was swimming with thoughts about how little she had done at work, how many things that weren't ready at home for the baby. JJ had said that she would be ready and Emily wanted to believe, her but she just didn't know that she could.

"Em?" She jumped at soft touch of Penelope's hand on her shoulder. "Do you need some help getting out?"

Emily looked around and realized that they were already in the hospital parking lot, the car no longer moving, and Penelope watching her closely.

"I can get it." She told Garcia.

She slowly stepped out of the car. Penelope came around and followed closely behind her as they made their way in. Another, what Emily assumed was a contraction, ran through her in the elevator, but that was the first time since leaving Quantico. She thought maybe it meant that it had all been a false alarm, that she had been over reacting.

However, that didn't seem to be the case. When she explained to the nurse what she had happened, she was immediately taken to a room. All of sudden she was in a hospital gown, monitors being hooked up to watch her and the baby. She was overwhelmed by how fast it all seemed to be happening. Just that morning she had been given the okay to work one more week and now there was a very real chance that she was going to be a mom within hours.

"I know I said that you could have this baby any time, but I didn't expect to see you so soon, Emily." Dr. Warner came walking through the door.

"You and me both." Emily nervously ran her hands up and down her stomach, feeling the monitors underneath her gown.

Dr. Warner gave her a soft smile. "Let's get you checked out and then we'll go from there."

Penelope stood up from the seat a nurse had brought for her. "I can go, if you want me to."

"No, Pen, you can stay." Emily reached her hand out to her.

Penelope knew what that meant coming from Emily Prentiss. She gave her hand a squeeze and sat back down.

"Alright, Emily." Dr. Warner stood. "You're only dilated about one centimeter, which is what you were when I saw you this morning. But I want to keep you here and monitor your contractions for a while."

"So she isn't in labor?" Penelope asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I think it's very possible, though." Dr. Warner explained before she left.

"Can I get you anything?" Penelope asked Emily after the doctor had left.

Emily just shook her head. Her hand still moving nervously across her bump.

"It's going to be okay." Penelope assured her. "I know how scary this must be, but I'll be here for you and my nephew or niece."

"Thanks, Pen." Emily could not express how grateful she was for her.

A few more hours passed by. Emily was uncomfortable, but the contractions she was having weren't horrible and they were rather sporadic still. Penelope continued to sit next to Emily's bed, laptop out in case of calls from the team. She was doing her best to talk to Emily, to keep her mind off all that was going on.

"Okay, Emily." Dr. Warner had returned a few hours after first seeing her patient. "I'm going to go ahead and have you stay, at least for the night. You've dilated a little more and it's looking like your contractions are starting to become a little more consistent."

"So if nothing happens I'll go home tomorrow?" Emily asked, maybe a little hopeful.

"It's possible. If you don't dilate anymore or your contractions stop. I will have you go home until everything starts to pick up. I'd rather have you comfortable at home then here. But I think that more than likely things will be in full swing by tomorrow morning."

"Will someone need to be with her if she goes home?" Penelope would volunteer.

"I don't think anyone needs to stay with her, but just as long as someone is always available if need be." Dr. Warner explained. "But let's not worry too much about that right now. We'll take it a few hours at a time for now and see what happens."

"Okay." The doctor could hear Emily's reservations in her voice.

"Why don't you try to get some rest, Emily? The contractions aren't too strong right now, it's a good time to see if you can get some sleep. You'll need the energy." Dr. Warner excused herself and left again.

"I'm going to go call JJ. Do you want me to get you anything?" Penelope got up, taking her laptop with her.

"I'm good."

"You really should try to get some sleep." Penelope told her as she made her way out the door.

"Penelope how is she?" JJ answered her phone when she saw the caller ID.

"She's okay. She trying to get some sleep right now." Penelope filled her in.

"What did the doctor say?"

"That she's going to keep her overnight for now. She thinks that by tomorrow morning everything will really start."

"But how is Emily, really?" JJ knew her friend must have been struggling with everything happening so quickly.

"She's hanging in there."

 _ *** And there it where I leave it. You'll have to wait until the next chapter to see what happens. Leave me your thoughts, criticism, ect.! ***_


	10. Chapter 10

_*** Here we go! ***_

Emily had been in and out of sleep all evening and into the night. The nurses would come in to check things trying not to wake her up, but usually not succeeding. Dr. Warner came in twice, as well. All the commotion was making it hard for Emily to get much rest and it didn't help that her contractions were starting to become more and more uncomfortable.

She was dosing, in and out of sleep, when a contraction, stronger than any of her previous ones had been, ran through her. She kept her eyes tight shut, breathing through it.

Emily did her best to try and push herself up in bed, but before she could manage to sit up, she felt a warm, wet sensation under where she was lying in bed. At first she wasn't even sure what to assume what it was and then it dawned on her.

"Pen?" Emily whispered loudly to Garcia, who had fallen asleep in the chair next to her bed. "Penelope? Penelope?!"

Penelope shot up in her chair, at first not sure where she was and then realizing that it was Emily who had woken her up. "What is it?"

"I think my water broke." The brunette said shakily.

Penelope's eyes almost popped out of her head at the words. "Wow. So this is really happening."

"Yeah… I think it is." Emily did her best, but she couldn't hide the fearful look in her eyes.

"Oh my goodness." Garcia realized that what she had said wasn't helping Emily. She was panicked enough without her being so too. "Let's get a nurse in here, okay?"

Garcia pressed the call button that was on the side of the bed, waiting not so patiently for someone to answer. The young nurse assigned to Emily's came in, calm and collected, unlike the other women in the room. Emily did her best to tell the nurse what she thought had happened and when the young woman pulled back the sheets, she confirmed what Emily had thought.

"You were very right; your water broke for sure." The nurse told Emily. "Let's get you up and changed into a clean gown and I will go get new sheets."

Penelope helped Emily change into the new gown, while the nurse quickly changed the bed. Emily sat in the chair previously occupied by Penelope as her bed was fixed. The nurse was spreading a new blanket, when Emily felt another contraction. She gripped the chair handle, taking a few deep breaths as she could.

The nurse stood quietly, allowing Emily to work through it before she and Penelope helped her back into bed.

"Dr. Warner will be in shortly. Can I get you anything?" The nurse asked.

"Am I allowed to have anything to drink?" Emily thought the question sounded stupid, but she had never had a baby before; she didn't know any of the procedures.

"Of course." The nurse informed her. "I will get you some water and ice chips."

As the nurse left, Dr. Warner came in. "So I see that this baby isn't going to wait any longer."

"I don't think so." Emily chuckled very nervously.

"Let's get you checked out, alright?" Dr. Warner was gentle and quick, sensing the anxiousness of her patient. "So you're about four centimeters dilated now, which is good. You're making progress."

"How long do you think it will take?" The expectant mom wondered.

"That all depends." Dr. Warner explained. "I will be honest and tell you that your first labor is usually the longest, but now that your water broke, things may happen quicker. There is really no way to tell for sure."

"Can we do anything to speed it up?" Penelope only asked because she wanted to do whatever she could to help.

"I always suggest walking. It can help to bring the baby down and possibly make things go faster. There's a few other things, but nothing guaranteed to help. Though some moms do say that walking also helps to get through the contractions. Do whatever feels comfortable okay? You can try all of it or none of it if you want."

Dr. Warner left and Penelope turned to Emily. "Okay, mama, let's going moving."

"You don't have to do this, Penelope."

"No I don't, so it's a good thing that I want to. Anything to meet this sweet baby faster."

The nurse returned with a glass of water and cup of ice chips. She set them down after Penelope explained what they wanted to do and helped Emily get back out of bed.

An hour later, Emily found herself pacing the halls of the maternity floor. It was almost midnight and everything was quiet. Penelope stayed by her side the entire time, supporting her, giving her words of encouragement or she was until Emily vetoed it.

"This sucks." Emily huffed, as she felt another contraction coming. She stopped moving and pressed her hands against the wall, putting all of her weight on them.

Penelope wanted nothing more than to be able to do more to help her friend. She knew being there meant a lot to Emily, but she was lost in how to help her through the hardest experience of her life. All the encouraging words or hand gripping just seemed so useless.

"Can we go back to my room?" Emily asked when the pain finally subsided.

"Whatever you want." Penelope helped her stand and let her place some of her weight against her as they walked back.

Emily stayed in bed for a little while, but she couldn't imagine anything more uncomfortable than laying down when her contractions started to pick up. They were about six minutes apart when she got up, not accepting Penelope's help. She leaned over the bed, her hands interlocked as she settled most of her weight against them.

In the middle of a contraction, the door opened, but Emily couldn't bring herself to look up, the pain was too much. She had assumed that it was just the nurse, anyway.

The person walked in, made their way around the bed and was suddenly at Emily's side. She felt the pressure of someone's hands massaging her lower back, the exact place where she felt her pain was radiating from.

"The back's the worst spot isn't it?"

"Why…" Emily tried to catch her breath. "Why are you here?"

"I can leave if you want me to." JJ joked.

"I didn't…" But Emily couldn't finish her sentence.

"I know you didn't." JJ assured her that she wasn't offended. "The team can handle one case without me. They were on their way to make an arrest anyway. I'm better off here."

"You didn't have to come all the way here at one am." Emily told her when the pain finally subsided.

"Like I was going to miss this?" JJ scoffed. "Not a chance."

"Thank you." Emily told her sincerely.

JJ and Penelope didn't leave Emily's side for the next three hours. They sat with her, walked with her, did whatever they could. Both women knew that even if Emily wouldn't admit it, she was missing Hotch in those very moments when he should have been the one there with her. Doing this by herself wasn't easy and they wanted to do everything in their power to help.

"Please tell me I'm close." Emily said to her doctor when she came in at four am.

Dr. Warner checked her patient. "You're almost there. Eight centimeters now Emily."

"That's not good enough." Emily huffed.

"I know you're tired, but this baby is on their own schedule. It shouldn't be more than another couple of hours."

A contraction hit Emily like a truck and all she wanted to do was scream. She bit her lip, almost hard enough to draw blood.

JJ knew first-hand what Emily was feeling and she did her best in the next couple of hours to convince Emily that it would all be worth it when saw her baby, but Emily wasn't buying much of any of it.

"I swear this baby is between my knees." Emily complained as she leaned over her bead. She had been in every possible position in the last two hours to handle the pain, but nothing seemed to help.

"I don't think that's humanly possible." Penelope pointed out.

Emily looked at her. "If you could feel this, you might think it was."

"Maybe we should have the doctor come in again?" JJ suggested.

"Why?" Emily asked. "So she can tell me it will just be a couple more hours."

"No. Because that feeling can mean that you're ready to push." JJ told her.

Penelope hit the nurses call button anyway and when the young woman came in she asked that she get the doctor. The nurse obliged and a moment later Dr. Warner came waltzing in.

JJ helped Emily into bed so the doctor could see what was going on and sure enough, JJ had been right.

"Alright, Emily, let's get you ready to have a baby."

"Can they stay?" Emily was referring to Penelope and JJ.

"Of course." Dr. Warner said as she began to pull of her white coat, revealing the scrubs she was wearing underneath. "This is your delivery."

All of sudden Emily felt like the whole room was filled with people. Her nurse and one other nurse filed in. JJ and Penelope stood up by her head; JJ's hand squeezed hers, assuring her that the blonde was not going anywhere. Emily could feel her breath and pulse quickening. This was really happening. She was having a baby. She was tired of being in labor, but she didn't feel like she was ready for it to be over yet. She was minutes away from being a mom and she had never been more terrified.

"Okay." Dr. Warner sat at the end of bed. "With your next contraction I want you to give me a nice big push."

Emily took a few deep breaths before the familiar pain of a contraction flooded her. Without even a thought, she found herself pushing.

"Good. Keep doing it just like that Emily." Dr. Warner encouraged her.

Emily followed her directions and continued to push with each contraction. Half an hour passed and with her contractions just two minutes apart, Emily was tiring quickly.

"You've got this, Em." JJ said.

Another excruciating contraction ripped through Emily and she bared down as hard as she could. It was the only relief she could get from the all the pain.

"That's it, Emily. Just like that again."

Emily put her chin to her chest, shut her eyes tight, and pushed as hard as she could. A moan escaped her lips as she felt like her lower half was being ripped apart.

"Good, good. The head is out." Dr. Warner told her. "Emily, I need you just breath through this next contraction okay?"

"Why?" Emily breathlessly asked her.

"The cord is wrapped around the baby's neck, okay? They're fine, I just need to unwrap it before you continue to push."

Emily did her best to breathe, but the contraction was unbearable and pushing was the only thing that took her mind off how much pain she was in. Her hands gripped the railing of the bed until her knuckles were white.

"I can't. I can't." She cried.

"Yes you can." JJ grabbed her hand. "Squeeze as tight as you need to, okay? You are so close, Em."

Emily held onto JJ's hand as the doctor instructed her to push again. She put all the strength she had left into it.

"Just one more, Emily. One more." Dr. Warner encouraged.

Emily took a deep breath, trying to find it in her to push one last time. She held tightly onto JJ's hand and Penelope's now too. It took everything she had, but then she felt it, the relief of her baby leaving her. She could feel them slide out of her body into the world.

Within just a moment of entering the world, the baby tested their lungs out for the first time. It was music to Emily's ears.

"It's a girl, Emily." Dr. Warner announced, as she laid the crying infant on Emily's chest.

Emily stared at the baby, in awe of how this little person just changed her life forever. She was a mom. She had a daughter.

"Oh sweet baby girl." Penelope idled over the baby.

"She's perfect." JJ agreed.

Emily felt like her heart was going to explode. She had known her daughter for all of two minutes and she had never loved anything or anyone more. The world around her seemed to disappear as she stared at the most important person in her life now.

 _ *** Yay! Baby girl Prentiss! She'll have a name and the team will get to meet the newest member next chapter. Leave me your reviews please. ***_


	11. Chapter 11

_*** An update! Read away. ***_

"You guys should both go home. You don't have to stay here with me." Emily told JJ and Penelope from where she laid in bed.

It had only been a couple of hours since Emily had given birth, but she knew that both women were just as exhausted as she was. Penelope had been with her the entire night and JJ had been awake since the previous morning working on the case before she came to the hospital. They had already done so much; Emily couldn't ask any more of them.

"Are you sure?" Penelope was anxious about leaving her.

"Yes." The new mom insisted. "Go get some sleep."

"Okay." Garcia agreed, gathering her stuff. "But you call me if you need me. I will keep my phone on."

"I know." Emily told her.

Penelope patted JJ on the shoulder, like she was telling her to follow her lead and go home to get some sleep. JJ just nodded.

"You can go home too." Emily didn't mince words; she could see how tired her friend was.

"You really sure you'll be okay?" It was a sincere question coming from the blonde.

Emily nodded. "I don't think I've ever been better."

JJ opened her mouth to say something, but the soft knocking at the door interrupted her. A nurse came in carrying Emily's daughter, swaddled tightly with the smallest hat Emily had ever seen covering her head.

"Alright, mom. You have a very healthy baby." The woman laid the baby back in Emily's arms, making her realize that in just the forty-five minutes she was gone she had never missed anyone more.

The nurse left quickly after making sure mom and baby were settled.

"I can't believe there's finally a girl on the team." JJ stood next to Emily, ogling over the baby.

"She is going to have so much fun being tormented by all those boys when she gets older."

JJ laughed, thinking about how much the baby would have to put up with along with her sons and Morgan's. But she also knew they would be overly protective of her.

"Have you thought about her name yet?"

A few ideas had crossed Emily's mind, but she hadn't made a decision. "Not yet. I wanted to get a little more time with her before I made a choice."

"Well then I will give that to you." JJ picked up her purse. "The team is going to stop by tonight, as long as you feel up for it."

"Of course." Emily wanted her daughter to meet her other aunt and all of her uncles.

"And I will go get your bags from your house. Do you need anything else from home?"

"I don't think so." She shook her head.

"Okay. I'll see you later." JJ smiled and walked out.

This was the first time Emily had been alone with her baby girl and all she wanted to do was stare at her. She took her hat off, revealing a full head of dark hair and brown eyes to match. Penelope had insisted that she was her mama's twin, but Emily could see a little bit of Hotch in her too. A part of her wished that he could be there with her, to meet his daughter, but she tried not to think about it. For now, it was just her and her daughter.

A few hours later, Emily had gotten a little sleep, but not much. When the baby woke up crying, the nurse had come in and helped Emily to feed her for the first time and showed her the correct way to burp her and the consequently helped her change the baby's diaper. Emily had burped and changed babies before, she baby sat during her teenage years and had spent plenty of time with the team's kids, but she was so nervous with her own daughter, scared to hurt her because she was so little and so new. The nurse assured her that she was doing just fine, but Emily took her time to be as gentle as possible.

When the nurse had left again, Emily found herself wide awake, she was still exhausted but she was unable to fall asleep because she wasn't willing to put the baby down.

A knock on the door signaled what Emily assumed was another doctor or nurse visit, she felt like they never left her alone, but when she told the person outside to come in, she was surprised to see the older woman who walked through.

"Mother?" Emily didn't exactly mean for it to come out as a question; she didn't want to sound as shocked as she was.

"Hello dear." Elizabeth Prentiss strutted into the room in her usual style.

"What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?"

"Jennifer called me last night to say that you were in labor. So I got on a plane and came to meet my new grandchild."

"You didn't have to fly right here."

"Of course I did. This might be the only grandchild you ever give me. I had to meet them right away."

Emily tried not to scoff at her mother. She wasn't sure if she believed that she was genuinely there to see her grandchild or to keep up her own appearances for her friends and the rest of their family.

"Well here she is." Emily looked back down at her daughter in her arms and couldn't help but smile.

"She? It's a girl?" Elizabeth came around to the side of Emily's bed, taking her first peak at her granddaughter. She nearly gasped when she laid her eyes on her; the woman was flooded with memories of Emily as a newborn. "She looks exactly like you did when you were born."

"You want to hold her?"

Elizabeth nodded her head excitedly as her daughter handed her the baby. She settled the infant in her arms and took a long look at her. Emily could see a different look in her mother's eyes, something she didn't think she had ever seen from her. Their relationship would probably never be perfect, but Emily did hope that Elizabeth would be in her daughter's life in some way.

"Does she have a name?" Elizabeth gently bounced the baby in her arms.

"Anderson." The name slipped out easily, like it was meant to be. Up until that moment, Emily hadn't been sure but when her mother asked the question it was like she finally made a choice in time to tell her.

"Anderson? Your grandmother's maiden name?" Elizabeth questioned.

"Yeah, I'll call her Andi for short." Emily knew she was set in her decision whether her mother liked it or not.

"Little Andi." Elizabeth cooed at the newborn. "Where did that come from?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders, thinking about her relationship with her mother's mother. It had always been better than the one she had with Elizabeth. "I don't know. I guess I just kept thinking about Grandma and how much she would have love to meet her. And I wanted her to be named after someone strong."

"We all know that your grandma was the strongest women you would meet." Elizabeth couldn't disagree; her mother was headstrong and never took no for an answer. If she wanted her granddaughter to learn from someone she couldn't disagree with her daughter that she was the perfect role model. "What about her middle name?"

"Jane." Emily once again sounded certain.

"The same as yours." Elizabeth said.

"And the same as yours." Emily pointed out.

Elizabeth nodded, still looking down at Andi as she spoke. "I really should be going. You need to get some rest." But she still held her granddaughter, not making an effort to give her back to Emily. With a somewhat sad sigh, Elizabeth transferred the baby back to her mother.

"You know you're welcome to come visit anytime." Emily offered, not sure that she wanted to, but trying to make an effort for the sake of her daughter.

"I'll stop by tomorrow before I leave." Elizabeth stood by the door for a moment, thinking about what Emily had just said. "Maybe I'll come in the next few weeks, if you need the help."

"That would be great." Emily told her before she walked out the door.

Emily let out a deep breath. She suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted from her. Nothing that had happened between her and her mother was solved by any means, but she wanted Andi to have as much family as possible to support her and if that meant putting differences aside, Emily thought she could handle it.

"Hey, are you up for a few more visitors?" JJ stuck her head around the door.

"Of course." Emily said. Since her mother had left, she had gotten a few hours of sleep, as did her daughter. She was feeling a little more like herself again.

The whole team filed in behind JJ. She took the bags she had brought back with her and set them on the window seat for Emily to go through later. Everyone gathered around the hospital bed, trying to catch a glimpse of the baby in Emily's arms.

"Uncle Dave gets her first." Rossi said when Emily asked if anyone wanted to hold her daughter.

Emily chuckled and let Rossi have the baby, who had just woken up.

"Okay, Emily, she is your twin." Tara said as she stared over Rossi's shoulder.

"That's what I've heard." The new mom was thinking of the comments her mother made earlier.

"I don't want to nag you or anything." Penelope started. "But does my niece have a name yet? I don't want to have to call her the baby forever."

"Anderson." Announced Emily proudly.

"Anderson?" Morgan sounded rather skeptical.

"Yes." She assured her team mate that he had heard her correctly. "But we'll call her Andi."

"My sweet little Andi girl." Penelope squealed with delight.

"Hello there Andi. I'm your uncle Dave and I'm going to teach you to cook because your mommy can't." Rossi spoke to her in the sweetest of voices.

"Hey!" Emily was offended.

"You can't really argue with him, Em." JJ laughed.

"Alright. I get it." The brunette gave in. "But maybe uncle Dave can come over and teach me to cook first."

"Any day." Rossi agreed.

Tara put her arms out. "Okay, no baby hogging, aunt Tara's turn." Dave reluctantly passed the baby to meet the next member of the family. "When do you two get to go home?"

"Tomorrow afternoon hopefully."

"I can go pick your car up from your place tomorrow and drive you home, if you need a ride." Rossi offered.

"Can you install a car seat too?"

"As long as there are instructions, I'm sure I can figure it out." Rossi told her.

"Maybe I'll come over and help you with that part." JJ offered.

Rossi raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you questioning my abilities to follow instructions and do this properly."

"No, but you haven't exactly had a lot of practice with the whole installing of baby things."

"Touché." Dave saw her point.

Everyone on the team took their turn at holding Andi and she easily went from person to person not making a single noise, content in every set of arms. It was as if she knew that she was safe with all of them. And Emily watched with elation as each person from this family of hers met the now most important person in her life. Her daughter would be safe and sound at all times with everyone constantly watching over her. She finally felt at ease about becoming a mom, unlike she had for months. She knew now that Andi was here that this was exactly how things were supposed to be. Her daughter completed her in a way that she hadn't realized she was unfinished.

"Do I have to give her back?" Reid complained as the team was getting ready to leave.

"Yes because she isn't yours to take, bud." JJ gave him a pat in the back; she loved Spencer Reid with children, nothing was cuter.

"You can come over whenever you want, Spence. She'll be there for you." Emily assured him.

Spencer gave Andi back to her mama and followed the rest of the team out. Rossi hung around for just an extra moment.

"I will see you tomorrow afternoon, car seat properly installed." Dave kissed her forehead. "You did a wonderful job. She's perfect."

"Thank you." Emily smiled.

* _**Fluff and baby name! I know the name is a little different, but I always imagined Emily picking something somewhat unconventional and I wanted to be able to give some meaning behind it. I hope you enjoyed this. Reviews are welcomed and appreciated! ***_


	12. Chapter 12

_*** Here's a new chapter for you all to enjoy. I'm not totally sure where exactly I am going with this story, but I am just going to continue to write it. Read away! ***_

"Are you sure I can't help you?" Rossi watched Emily gather her things, repacking her hospital bags.

"I'm fine." Emily assured him. "Just keep my little girl content in your arms."

Rossi was smitten by his goddaughter. The moment he had walked into Emily's room, he had taken the baby from her mother and continued to walk around the room with her, she was asleep in minutes.

"I can handle that." Grinned Rossi.

Emily finished packing up all of the things that she had brought with her. She pulled out the outfit that her mother had bought for her grandchild. Rossi gently laid the baby on the bed. The new mom did her best to dress her without waking her, but had no such luck.

Emily bounced the baby gently in her arms until she stopped crying. "Can you grab the car seat for me?"

Rossi obliged putting it on the bed. He made sure the straps were out of the way, as Emily laid the baby in carefully. Rossi put the straps around her tiny arms and then buckled her. Emily laid a blanket over her and tucked the edges in, making sure the baby was snug and warm for her first ride home.

"I think we're ready." Announced Emily, as she zipped shut her over-night bag.

Rossi picked up the bag and slung the strap over his shoulder. He grabbed the handle of the car seat.

"I can get something." Emily tried to reach for her bag.

"No no no." The man shook his head. "All you need to do is walk to the car. I have the rest of it."

Emily smiled at the man, double checking on the baby before they walked out of the room. She had signed all of her release papers, Dr. Warner had cleared her and the baby to leave, everything was done and Emily was free to go home with her daughter.

"Did JJ come help you do this?" Emily asked Rossi when they got to his car to see that everything was installed perfectly.

"Of course she did." He said. "As much as I hate to admit it, I never would have figured it out if it hadn't been for her."

"Don't worry, everything ever made for a baby is complicated as hell to put together."

Emily sat in the backseat with Andi the whole drive home. The baby had fallen asleep quickly, the motion of the car tiring her. But Emily couldn't tear her eyes away from her. It wasn't until Rossi pulled into her driveway and parked the car, that she finally looked up. He got out and came around to the side opposite Emily. He picked up the bags again and then lifted Andi in her car seat from the middle of the back seat.

"I could have gotten something Dave." Emily followed behind the man.

"Stop it. I didn't offer to bring you home so that I could just drive and then kick you out of the car."

"Is JJ still here?" Emily looked to the street and realized she recognized the car parked across the street in front of her neighbor's house.

"Her and a few other people." Rossi mumbled under his breath, as he used Emily's keys to unlock her front door.

"What was that?" She asked, but he had already walked through the door, leaving it open for her. She raced to catch up with her and was shocked to see the people who were at her house.

JJ and Penelope were in the kitchen, food surrounding them, all of it freshly cooked and smelling delicious. From upstairs she could hear Morgan and Reid's voices coming from one of the bedrooms. Tara came jogging down the steps just as Emily and Rossi came in.

"What is all of this?" The new mom looked around.

"Well, hello sweet girl." Penelope cooed at Andi, who was still in her car seat. "We just thought that your mama could use a little extra help, so we came to do just that."

"You can take her out of there if you want to Pen. I'll have to feed her in a little bit, but I'm sure she'd love some snuggle time with Aunt Penelope." Emily leaned over the kitchen counter, inspecting all the food.

"What do you want at first?" JJ asked her.

"All of it." She laughed. "Maybe save some of it and freeze it for later?"

"Will do. I'll leave out the lasagna for all of us to have tonight." JJ stopped for a moment. "Unless you want us to leave? I didn't even think about how tired you probably are and then you came home to all of us."

Emily shook her head. "Stop. I wouldn't want anyone else here when I brought Andi home. Leave it out because you'll all be here for dinner."

"Good." Smiled JJ.

"What are the guys doing up there?" Emily could still here Derek and Spencer upstairs and she wouldn't help but wonder what they could possibly be doing.

"Give them a few minutes and you'll know." Rossi explained.

Emily look at him, wondering what exactly he meant. But not even ten minutes later, Reid came downstairs and announced that they were ready upstairs. Emily followed behind Reid and the rest of the team after her. Spence led them past Emily's bedroom and to the room that was supposed to be designated as the baby's nursery. However, Emily hadn't had much time to do anything to the room except put the boxes she had ordered and all the baby shower presents in it. But the team had changed that.

"You guys…" Gasped Emily when she walked in.

The room had gone from being a bland beige, to a light gray. The white crib Emily had ordered was all put together and had been made up with pink sheets. The matching changing table was placed on the opposite wall and in the corner was a plush rocking chair that Emily hadn't seen before, yet another gift. The women had obviously had a hand in decorating because pink pillows sat in the rocking chair, a pink rug was in the middle of the floor, and in wood letters above the crib was Andi's name.

"When… how…?" Emily couldn't finish her sentence.

"We had a couple days." Tara smirked.

"And you had everything already, you just weren't going to have the time to finish it all and after bringing Andi home you were going to have even less time, so we decided this is what we could do for you." Penelope said, still holding Andi.

"Yeah, but all of this?" Emily gestured around the room.

"Yes all of this." Derek had been the muscle behind putting all of the furniture together. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a squeeze.

She was shocked by all that they had done. From the time that they all had found out that she was going to be a mom, her team had been the most incredible support system. She would not have made it to coming home with her daughter if it hadn't been for every single person on the team. They were family and they always would be hers, but more importantly Andi would always have these people in her corner.

"Thank you." Emily wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Any time." JJ assured her.

As expected, Andi gave a loud cry from her aunt's arms, breaking up the moment between the team. "Okay, mama I think that this one is all you."

Emily chuckled and held her arms out for the baby. "I'll take her." Penelope placed Andi in her mother's arms.

"Why don't we give you some time and you can test out Andi's new room." Suggested JJ, trying to make it obvious to the rest of the team that Emily needed a few minutes alone to feed Andi and just relax a little.

Everyone got the message and went back downstairs. The sound of all of their voices and footsteps in her house, made Emily smile. She loved when they were all here. It made her house feel like a home.

Emily sat down in the rocking chair, settling Andi before she started to feed her. "You know you have so many people who love you sweet girl. You are so lucky."

"You good?" Tara asked when Emily came back downstairs half an hour later.

"Never been better." She said honestly.

"Good." Tara could see how happy she really was. "Now, how about you hand that baby over and you can get some dinner?"

"Deal." Emily gave the baby to Tara.

Emily grabbed a plate and dished up the food. She sat down at an empty seat at her dining room table, joining JJ, Penelope, and Tara. The men sat on the stools at her counter and on the couch, watching something on the TV.

"I can take her back if you want to eat Tara." She was slowly picking at her lasagna with her one free hand.

"Not a chance." Tara told her. "I can eat with one hand just fine."

Andi was already being spoiled by her aunts and uncles, but by how contently she laid in Tara's arms, Emily assumed that it wouldn't be a problem for her daughter.

"Call me if you need anything. I know how hard these first few weeks are." JJ was saying to Emily right before she left.

Everyone else had left already, heading home for the night, but only after having cleaned up the kitchen, doing the dishes, and making sure that Emily didn't need anything else. She insisted that they had already done more than they needed to and they all deserved to go home and get a good night's rest. They all had to be back at work the next day.

"I will." Said Emily. "Thanks for everything."

"Of course." JJ would always be there for her friend. "Good night sweet Andi girl."

Emily closed and locked the door behind JJ and headed back up the stairs. She went into Andi's nursery, gently putting her on the changing table. She had been sleeping, but as soon as her mom set her down and started to undress her, she threw a fit.

"I know baby girl, but we have to change your diaper and get you in your jammies." Emily worked quickly. She put a new diaper on the baby and then opened one of the drawers in the changing table, searching for where all of her daughter's clothes had been placed. The second drawer held the baby's long onsies for sleeping. But as Emily dug through the drawer, she noticed that some of the outfits were from the baby shower, but there were also some new ones that she didn't have before. She knew her team was responsible.

"Okay, baby, that's all better now." Emily picked Andi back up and headed to her bedroom, where she found Andi's bassinet all put together and placed strategically by her side of the bed. The team had thought through everything she was going to need for her first night at home.

After one last feeding and gently rocking her daughter to sleep, Emily carefully laid her in the bassinet. "I love you sweet girl." Emily gently kissed her tiny chubby cheek.

 _ *** Alright, a little fluffy again, but that's the fun of a Criminal Minds story, that the characters are a family and it's easy to write them like one. Review away please. Leave me all of your thoughts. The next chapter will add a few new characters to my story. ***_


	13. Chapter 13

_*** This took a little longer than expected, but here is a new chapter! ***_

"When was the last time you slept?" Penelope asked as she walked through the front door of Emily's house, never worried about saying exactly what she was thinking.

"Oh you mean you can tell that I only got two hours last night?" The new mom joked.

JJ gave her a sympathetic smile, following Pen inside. "I don't miss the days of feeding and changing every hour."

"I can already tell you that I won't miss it." Emily said. "I love her, I do, but she will be the death of me. Or at least this lack of sleep will be."

Emily had been home with Andi for two weeks now and while she was absolutely smitten by her baby girl, she was struggling with being a single parent when she was up all hours of the night and then trying to function during the day. The laundry was piling up, her dishwasher was filled with dirty dishes, as was her sink. Andi was happy and healthy, she had gained almost two pounds since coming home, and that was what mattered, but Emily was quickly figuring out that she was going to need some help sometimes, even if she hated to admit it.

"Where is my niece?" Garcia asked as they walked into the kitchen. Emily wanted to be embarrassed by the state of her house, but she was too tired to care and when it was just JJ and Penelope she knew they would understand.

"Asleep in her swing, she just got fed and changed." Emily pointed to the swing that was in the middle of the living room floor, swaying back and forth.

"If she is fed and changed, then you can go to bed." JJ said it like it was a suggestion, but her tone made it sound like an order.

"I'm fine." Emily brushed her off.

"No you aren't." JJ insisted. She had been a new mom before, she understood the level of exhaustion. "We came to help and we can help by letting you sleep while we stay with Andi."

"But…"

"No buts mama." Penelope cut her off.

"You shouldn't have to come babysit."

"She's our niece. All we want to do is spend time with her." JJ assured her. "Now do you have any bottles made or anything?"

"There's a few in the fridge, but if she needs to be fed, you can come get me."

"She didn't ask for them so that we could wake you up to feed her. You're going to go upstairs and get some sleep and we will all be just fine." Penelope was basically pushing Emily up the stairs at this point.

"Okay, okay. But if you need anything just come get me." Emily slowly walked up the first few steps.

"Keep walking mama." Penelope told her.

When she finally went upstairs and they heard her shut the door of her bedroom behind her, JJ and Penelope went to work. They wanted to spend some time with their niece, but they also wanted to help Emily with as much as they could. So Penelope offered to finish all of the dishes and JJ went for the laundry. They worked busily, taking turns checking on the baby. An hour and a half later, the dishes were done, dried, and put away. All of the laundry was clean, the last load in the dryer, and JJ was folding when Andi let out a cry.

"Okay, sweet girl. Let's get you fed." JJ removed Andi from the swing and started to gently bounce her in her arms. "Will you grab one of her bottles and heat it up, Pen?"

The technical analyst did just that. "Here you go."

JJ sat on the couch with Andi, Penelope following. The baby hungrily sucked at her bottle as both her aunts watched her closely. They both loved finally having a girl to spoil on their team.

"How could you have let me sleep so long?" Emily came down the stairs, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"It was only four hours and you needed it." Pointed out Penelope.

"I know, I know. But that's a long time for you to be sitting in my house." Emily finally took a second to look around and realized that her living room and kitchen were spotless and her laundry baskets were filled with clean, folded clothes. "You guys are angels."

"Nope, that's just what family is for." JJ smiled.

"Did she give you any trouble?" Asked Emily, as she leaned down to pick up Andi from the swing. She was awake and staring up at her mom. And if she was being honest, she had missed Andi for those few hours she was away from her. Emily didn't know how she would return to work, if she was this bad after a couple hours apart in the same house.

"Of course not." Penelope cooed, looking at Andi over Emily's shoulder. "She was perfect. She is perfect."

"It looks like someone has Aunt Penelope wrapped around her little finger."

"Oh she does and I am not afraid to admit it."

JJ laughed at the other blonde. "Now what do we want for dinner? Chinese take-out sound good to either of you?"

"Sounds delicious." Emily told her, happy to be spending the evening with the girls. "Where's Tara?"

"She was at the jail doing an interview, but I bet that she is done now. I'll text her and tell her to get over here."

An hour later, all four women were sitting around Emily's dining room table, scooping food out of the cardboard containers from the Chinese restaurant. They were all talking, Tara, Penelope, and JJ filling in Emily on what she had been missing at work.

When Andi started to cry, Emily moved to get out of her chair but was cut off by Tara. "You stay and eat. Does she need to be fed?"

"No I just fed her. She probably needs her diaper changed. I can get." Emily stood up.

"Stop. I will go change her, I can handle that much." Tara assured her. "You keep eating and we will be right back." She headed up stairs.

"All better?" Emily asked when Tara returned to the table.

"Much better." Tara smiled down at Andi. "So, what's it like to be a mom? And be honest."

Emily thought for a moment. "It's crazy." All of the women laughed at her response. "But in a good way. It's just crazy that she's mine and that I have to do everything for her; I'm her provider and it's a little weird to be responsible for someone else after being alone for so long."

"And also crazy how little sleep you can live on?" Chuckled JJ, as she took a bite of her dinner.

"Yeah. Who knew that a tiny human could make you realize that you never actually needed sleep before?"

"But really? You feel like you can handle all of this?" Pushed Tara.

Emily looked at her inquisitively. "Tara Lewis are you trying to profile me?"

"What? Never." Lewis smirked, holding back a laugh.

"I can handle it. And as much as I hate to say it, if I need anything I know that I can call any of you." Emily sighed. "But can I run something by you guys?"

JJ, Tara, and Penelope looked at each other, trying to see if each other had some idea what Emily wanted to talk to them about. But each women was at a loss.

"That's what we're here for." Penelope said.

"Okay." Emily took a deep breath. "I called Jessica yesterday."

"As in Hotch's Jessica?" Confirmed JJ.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. I told her… everything. I didn't want to. I had called her so that I could meet her and we could sit down and I could explain. But she answered the phone and I couldn't help but let it all spill out. I think she was a little overwhelmed."

"Did you just call her to tell her or is there something more?" Tara shifted Andi in her arms.

"I do want her to know, but I really called because I want Jack to know."

"Andi is his sister." JJ agreed with Emily's choice.

"I know. That's why I think he should know. It's not fair to him to have this part of his family here and not have him know."

"But what did Jessica say?" JJ questioned.

"She agreed. She was a little more hesitant, but she understood why I wanted Jack to get to know his sister."

"So what do you want us to help with?" Garcia couldn't quite see what Emily was uncertain about.

"I just don't know how to go about telling him and having him meet her. Should I see just him first and tell him what happened and ask if he wants to know her. I mean I know that I want him to be a part of his life, but I also don't want to force him if he doesn't feel comfortable being an instant older brother."

"I don't think you're forcing him into anything. But it might be good to sit down with Jack first and just get him used to the idea. I think he'll want to meet Andi, but it's also important that he understands why he didn't know about her until now." Explained JJ.

"Okay."

"And do make sure that he wants to meet her. I can't imagine that he won't, but at least make sure he knows his options." Tara continued.

"Alright."

"And don't worry too much. Jack is the sweetest kid and if you explain all of this to him, he'll want to know Andi." Penelope assured her.

"Thank you guys."

"That's what family is for." Penelope, who sat closest to her on the same side of the table, squeezed her shoulder.

A couple hours had passed and Emily found herself alone again. Andi was asleep in her bassinet in the bedroom and the mom was downstairs putting away a few of the dishes that had been cleaned after dinner. Although, she was really just trying to find some way to occupy her time because she knew that she needed to call Jessica.

From the baby monitor, Emily could hear Andi wailing, though she didn't need the baby monitor to be able to hear her daughter from upstairs, the little girl had a pair of lungs on her.

"Okay, Andi girl. Come here." Emily had run up the stairs and was picking her daughter up in less than a minute.

Emily went back downstairs, grabbed her phone, and settled on the couch to feed Andi. She watched the baby for a few minutes before she turned her attention to her phone. She scrolled through her contacts and opened Jessica's information.

"You want to meet your big brother don't you?" Emily looked down at Andi, who was still feeding.

With a deep breath, Emily dialed Jessica's number. She put the phone to her ear, holding it between her cheek and shoulder. It rang a few times before the voice on the other line answered.

"Hey Jessica, it's Emily."

 _ *** Okay, so I know that I had a few people ask about Jack and if he would be in the story, so I knew that this was the natural progression of things and I like the idea of Emily and Andi having another family member. Reviews, please! ***_


	14. Chapter 14

_*** A new chapter with some new relationships. I hope that you all like it! ***_

Emily ran her hand over her shirt, trying to smooth out the wrinkles that weren't there. She couldn't stop fidgeting, trying to occupy her time.

She had just fed and changed and put Andi down to sleep, so she couldn't turn to her daughter for a distraction and Jack Hotchner was supposed to be arriving at her house at any minute, she needed something to ease her anxiety.

Emily jumped out of her skin when her doorbell rang.

"Hi Jack." She opened the door to see Jack, as well as Jessica.

"Hi." He said shyly, giving her a smile.

"I'm not staying. Just wanted to make sure that he got inside okay." Jessica explained to Emily, before she turned to Jack. "You can call me or have Emily call me when you're ready for me to come pick up, okay?"

"Okay." Jack nodded.

"I'll make sure we get a hold of you." Emily told the aunt.

"Okay. I'll see you in a little bit." Jessica gave Jack's shoulder one last squeeze and walked back to her car.

"Come on in, bud." Emily stepped aside and let Jack walk in past her. "Do you want something to drink? Or something to eat?"

"Can I just have a glass of water, please?" Jack had always been polite, his father would have had it no other way, but the way that he spoke to her, made Emily realize she shouldn't be so nervous around him.

"Of course." Emily walked into her kitchen grabbing glasses for both of them. Jack stood just outside in the living room, watching her fill both cup with a few ice cubes and water from the dispenser on the front of the fridge. "Alright. Let's sit down on the couch, okay?"

The eleven-year-old followed her and sat down as she did, but on the opposite end of the couch, carefully sipping from his water glass.

"Did your aunt tell you anything about why I wanted to see you today?" Emily asked him.

Jack just sort of shrugged. "She said it was about my dad and your baby, but that's it."

Emily took a deep breath, doing her best to think about how exactly she was going to tell Jack. She had gone through it a million different times in her head, but now that she was sitting in front of him, she couldn't form a whole sentence.

"Is your baby my dad's baby?" Jack came right out and asked what he was wondering.

Emily almost chocked on the water she had just sipped. "How did you figure that out?"

"I saw you when you came over and saw my dad. You were the only one who came to visit us and Dad always liked you. He told me that you were his favorite on the team since you joined and he was sad after you left. But then he was happy again when you came back."

She was doing her best to hold back her tears as Jack told her, in his best child-like way, how Hotch had felt about her. It's not that she didn't know they both had feeling for each other, but she had never assumed that he felt strongly enough to share them with his son, the most important person in Hotch's life. But she was saddened by the idea that she would never know anymore of what Hotch thought of her or if they could have been more than what they were.

"Well you are right; your dad is my baby's dad." Said Emily. "Which means that my baby is your little sister."

"She is?" Jack was obviously surprised, not having really thought through getting a new sibling.

"Yeah, because you guys have the same dad it makes her your half-sister, but if you want to you can just call her your sister."

"What's her name?"

"Anderson, but I call her Andi."

"Why didn't dad tell me about her?"

Emily had known that question was coming. "Well, I didn't ever get to tell your dad. We didn't see each other after I found out that I was going to have the baby, so I never got to tell him. And I was a little scared to tell him because I didn't want to come in between you and him. He was already your dad and I wanted him to have his time with you."

"But he could have spent time with both of us." Jack pointed out.

"I know." Emily frowned slightly, thinking about how Jack knew better that his dad would have loved her daughter.

"He would have loved her." The way his tone changed, Emily could tell that all this talk was making him a little upset. The poor kid had lost both of his parents, he had every right to be sad.

"You know how much he loved you, don't you Jack?" The little boy nodded at her. "You were the most important person in his life. Just remember that you never could have been replaced."

Jack thought about what she said, but before he could reply, Emily could hear Andi fussing from the baby monitor and soon after she could hear her crying.

"Do you want to meet her?" Emily stood up from the couch.

"Yeah." Jack seemed a little excited.

The mom ran upstairs and took the baby from her bassinet, she did her best to calm her down. It hadn't been long enough that she was hungry again, so Emily assumed that it was simply because she wanted to be held.

"Alright, Andi this is Jack." Emily sat down right next to him on the couch so that he could see her.

He stared at her for a while, a little unsure. "She's so little."

"Well she's only three weeks old, but she'll keep growing."

"Can I… can I hold her?"

"Of course, buddy." Emily very gently transferred the baby into Jack's arms, helping him to hold her head up and position his arms. "Just make sure to keep her head supported, she's too little to do that on her own."

Jack was very still, making sure not to move even a little bit with Andi in his arms. Emily watched lovingly as they got to know each other. She hadn't ever really imagined that this would happen, but now she was filled with joy in her decision to reach out to Jessica and let Jack meet his little sister. Very carefully, the brunette grabbed her phone and snapped a few pictures, sending them in her group message with the other ladies of the team. They all responded immediately to the pictures, showing their support.

"So you said I could call her my sister?" Jack finally looked up at Emily.

"Absolutely." Emily could feel her smile growing across her face.

An hour later, Emily answered the door to Jessica. She invited her in, wanting a chance to talk to her a little about what she had discussed with Jack.

"Aunt Jess do you want to see my sister?" Jack barely let the woman walk in before he was pulling her toward the living room where Andi was.

"I think maybe you should ask Emily first, Jack." Jessica looked back at the woman who's house they were in.

"That's okay." Assured Emily. "I told him that he could introduce you two if you wanted."

Jessica turned back to Jack who was standing over Andi in her swing, making faces at her. The aunt smiled at her nephew, who had become just like her own.

"Can we take her out, Emily?" Jack gave her a smile that she couldn't say no to.

Emily came over and took the baby, who was awake and watching the people around her. She shifted the infant and looked at Jessica as if to ask if she wanted to hold the little girl. When she reached out, Emily handed the baby over.

"That's Andi. She really cute. I think she looks like me a little." Explained Jack.

"She adorable, Emily." Jessica bounced Andi in her arms. "And I think that she looks just like you."

"I see a little bit of Hotch in her too."

"Hey Jack why don't you got to the bathroom, before we get going. It might take us quite a while to get home in the traffic." Jessica watched Jack run off to the bathroom. "I hope he wasn't too much for you." She said to Emily.

"No, not at all. He was great and he loved meeting her. I had to basically pry her out of his hands when she fell asleep."

"I was a little worried about you telling him, but I'm glad that he knows. It's been really hard for him without Aaron and he needed some good news, something to take his mind off everything that has changed."

"I can't even imagine what it's been like for him. It's not fair that someone his age has been through so much. I just wanted him to have someone else who could be family for him. But do tell me if I'm over stepping my bounds. I don't want this to be about me and Jack, just about Andi and Jack."

"No, it's good that he has Andi and you. Jack needs as many people who care about him in his life as he can get, everyone from Aaron's team included. I want to make his life as normal as it can be and you all have been there for him from the beginning."

Jack dashed back in before Emily could say anything more. "Can I come over again, Emily?"

"Of course you can. Maybe we can set something up so that you can see Andi every week?" Emily said it to Jack, but was really making the suggestion to Jessica.

"That would be great, wouldn't it Jack?" Jessica was happy to see a relationship be formed.

"Yes!" Jack nearly shouted from excitement.

"So it went well?" Rossi stood in his kitchen, the whole team stood around as he plated their dinner. They were all over for their usual Sunday dinner and everyone wanted to know how the meeting with Jack had gone.

"Better than that." Emily admitted. "They were adorable together."

"And Jack seemed okay with all of it?" Quizzed JJ.

"He figured it all out before I could even tell him." She admitted. "But he was just mostly confused as to why I never told Hotch. He actually even told me that he would have loved both of them."

"He is the sweetest kid on the planet." Penelope felt her heart bursting at the story.

"Yes he is." Emily agreed. "I think we're going to set up a weekly meeting, so that he can spend some time with Andi and me. I want him to feel like we're family and that he's welcome to be with us, you know?"

"What did Jessica say about all of it?" Morgan asked.

"She thought it was a good idea. She admitted that she was a little worried at first, but she said Jack's had a really hard time lately and it would be good for him to have people in his life that remind him he isn't all alone."

"Well if you ever want to bring him for Sunday dinners, he is always welcome. I miss the little guy." Rossi was handing out plates.

"I think that I will. I'll ask him if he wants to come next week." Emily knew that Jack would say yes.

JJ grabbed two plates from Rossi, one for herself and one for Emily, who was holding Andi after trying to calm her down from being fussy from her last feeding. They all took their food and walked to the dining room table.

"Give me that baby and I'll give you your plate." JJ propositioned Emily.

"You got it." JJ set down the plate and happily took her niece from her brunette best friend.

They all sat down and spent the night eating and talking and just enjoying each other's company. Emily couldn't stop herself from looking around the table, where her daughter was now in Rossi's arms, and thinking about Jack and how her family was growing in the best possible way.

 _ *** There it is. I will continue to keep Jack a apart of this story now. Review, pretty please! ***_


	15. Chapter 15

_*** This chapter took a little longer than I was expecting it to, but it's here now. Thanks for your patience and thanks for the all the recent follows and favorites. Hopefully everyone is still into and interested in the story. Anyway, here's this chapter. Read away, folks! ***_

"Jack would you mind grabbing that blanket that's on the couch for me and putting in the bag by the door?" Emily continued to bounce Andi in her arms just as she had been for the past ten minutes. The six week old had been fussy since she woke up that morning and even more so after her afternoon nap.

"Sure!" Jack grabbed the soft pink blanket that Emily had been referring to, doing his best to fold it nicely and put in the tan diaper bag that Emily had set by her front door.

"Okay, baby, okay." The mom took a deep breath as the baby's cries lessened. "There we go, that's better."

Emily waited a few more minutes before she put Andi in her car seat, careful not upset her again. They were supposed to be at Rossi's in less than ten minutes for Sunday dinner, which meant they would be late, but Emily cared more about Andi calming down than whether or not she was on time. Everyone would understand her being late if she explained; she just didn't want to come in with a crying baby when today was supposed to be about Jack and being back with people who still considered him family.

"Is she okay?" Jack was watching his little sister in her car seat, still fussing but not crying and screaming as she had been when he arrived.

"Yeah, she's just a little cranky today." Emily picked up the handle of the car seat, wondering if the answer she had given him was really true. She had been cranky but for some reason it felt different. "Alright, let's get going, buddy. Everyone is excited to see you."

"Here I've got the bag." Jack picked up the diaper bag.

They ended up being only about fifteen minutes late to Rossi's, but Emily was still apologetic as she walked through the door. Dave assured her that no one had even noticed and nothing had happened in the few minutes that they missed.

"My man, Jack!" Morgan put his out in front of him. "Give me some."

The little man ran up to Derek and slapped his hand, a smile plastered across his face. "My man Derek." Jack mimicked.

"That's what I'm talking about." Morgan wrapped his arms around Jack and pulled him into a hug; the 11-year-old happily obliged and hugged him back.

After Morgan everyone took a turn hugging him, each team member was thrilled to have him there with them. No matter what happened he was family to them all, just as he always had been. And Emily knew that there would be no problem of Jack feeling welcome when he had happily agreed to come with her today.

"How is my sweet niece today?" Penelope leaned over Andi's car seat and unbuckled her, settling her into her arms before standing back up.

"Cranky and fussy." Emily watched as the baby squirmed in Garcia's arms. She didn't want to say it, but she was a little glad to be around some other people who could take their turn calming Andi. She loved her daughter more than anything, but being along with her every day, all day was wearing, especially when she was upset.

"All day?" JJ stood next to Penelope, stroking Andi's dark hair.

"A little this morning, but it was bad after her nap this afternoon. It took me almost an hour just to get her to stop crying so I could put her in her car seat."

"Oh poor thing." Penelope pouted at her niece.

While Rossi finished dinner, with Emily's help to dish up and get everything on the table, JJ kept Penelope as calm as she possibly could. Penelope and Tara had tried as well, but since JJ had the most experience with babies, she was the only one who could keep her from screaming.

"Here, JJ, I'll take her. Maybe she needs to be fed." Emily took Andi and went to the couch while the rest of the team sat down at the dining room table.

But trying to feed her didn't work either. She wouldn't latch on, she wouldn't lay still, and before Emily could pull her shirt back down, Andi was screaming. Her face was red and Emily was sure that she had never seen her daughter this upset.

Emily bounced in her arms, feeling helpless, she had no idea what to do or where to start. Something was off, she knew it.

"Has she been spitting up? Have you burped her?" JJ had left the table and was at Emily's side.

Emily just shrugged, she had done everything she could think of.

"Here." JJ grabbed Andi. "Has she been this warm all day?"

Emily took the back of her hand and felt the baby's forehead and cheeks that were flushed. JJ was right, Andi was burning up. "I haven't noticed anything until now."

"I think we need to get her to the hospital." JJ told Emily.

Her eyes widened in panic. "What do you mean? Isn't there something we can do?"

"Not when she's six weeks old." The blonde was doing her best to be gentle. "Our doctor always told us that if they have a fever before three months we needed to bring them in."

"But…" Emily let out a shaky breath.

"Here, let's get her in her car seat and I will drive your car, okay?"

Emily could only nod.

The team knew something was off, but there wasn't enough time to explain what JJ thought and why they were leaving. All Emily had time to do was tell them to make sure Jack was okay.

JJ took the lead and put Andi in her car seat. The baby continued to cry and scream. Emily grabbed the blanket and the diaper bag. Emily sat in the back seat with Andi the whole ride, listening to her screams and wiping the small tears that fell from her eyes.

"Have you noticed anything else? Other than the fever?" A nurse was examining Andi, laying her on an exam table as she cried.

"Just that she was fussy earlier. And I haven't really been able to get her to feed all day." Emily tried to keep her voice even, but everything came out in bits between holding back tears.

"When did you notice the fever?"

"Maybe half an hour ago." JJ spoke this time.

"Okay, I'm going to go get the doctor in here and see what she wants to do." The nurse left, leaving JJ and Emily in silence.

When she returned, the pediatrician followed her in. "Alright. I'm Dr. Wilson." The doctor introduced herself.

They answered the same questions that nurse had asked and a few more, all while Andi continued to cry, her little body shaking on the table. Emily wanted nothing more than to grab her daughter and hold her, to rock her and try to settle her.

"Okay, I want to admit her." Dr. Wilson said as she finished examining her.

"What?" Emily spat, her heart was racing.

"I just can't tell you what is wrong without running a few tests and with the fever that she is running, I don't feel comfortable sending her home."

"How long will she have to be here?" Asked JJ, seeing that Emily was seconds away from losing it.

"I can't say. It all depends on what we find out and how long she has this fever." The doctor turned back to Andi. "I am going to take her up to pediatrics and get her in a room. We will draw some blood and start there."

"Can I… I need to be… I have to be with her." Emily struggled to get the words out.

"Of course. You can follow me." Dr. Wilson allowed Emily to pick Andi up.

"Just text me when you're settled." JJ squeezed her shoulder. "I will go call everyone."

Emily followed Dr. Wilson into an elevator and up to the fifth floor. The doctor went to the nurses' station and another young woman led them to a room. She asked Emily to lay Andi down in the small crib that sat in the center of the room. It had short plastic walls and made Andi look even smaller than she was. The mom gently laid the baby down. Her tears had finally stopped, probably from exhaustion, but she was still squirming and whining.

"A nurse will be in to draw some blood in a few minutes. I will be back as soon as we know more and try to give you some answers." Dr. Wilson gave Emily a sympathetic smile and left.

Emily texted JJ the room number. She needed her, she couldn't be alone right now.

The nurse came in before JJ. Emily had to help her, doing her best to stop Andi from moving long enough to draw blood. The prick of the needle caused a few tears from the baby, but Emily could tell that she was too tired to give too much fuss.

"Hey." JJ peaked into the room and quietly walked in. "Good she's asleep."

Emily nodded.

"She'll be fine, Em."

"I didn't notice. I should have known something was wrong. I'm her mother."

"Do not beat yourself over this. You didn't do anything."

"Exactly, I didn't do anything." Emily sighed. "She was fussy all day and I didn't even assume that something was wrong. I just pretended like it was all okay. If I had seen it earlier, maybe we wouldn't be here now."

JJ knew that Emily would be blaming herself. Anything that happened to your child when you were a first time parent was scary; JJ could recall more than a few times that she was sure she was failing at being a parent with Henry. But Emily had already spent so much time assuming that she wasn't meant to be a mom, that she wouldn't be ready and JJ couldn't let her go back to thinking that. The moment that Andi had arrived, the brunette had become the doting, caring, and loving mother that JJ knew she would be.

"Emily, do not do that." The blonde put both hands on her shoulders, forcing Emily to look into her eyes. "This is not your fault, it's not anyone's fault. Babies get sick, it happens and the more you blame yourself the worse this will be. She didn't have a fever when you came over and so she was fussy, every baby has those days. We are here now and they will do everything they can for her."

"How did you not question yourself every day, every minute?"

"Of course I did. Every time Henry cried the first six months after we brought him home, I was sure that I was screwing something up. But you aren't; I promise that you aren't."

"I just…" Emily took a deep breath. "I just feel like I'm in over my head sometimes."

"That's normal. And even more so because you're her only parent. Being a parent will be the hardest job you ever have and that's saying something considering what we do. What matters right now is that she is fed and happy and loved and you're doing all of that and more for her."

"Thank you for being here." Emily told her sincerely, knowing that she wouldn't be to handle all that was happening with her daughter

"You may be a single mom, but you are not ever going to have to be alone, Em."

 _ *** A small bit of fluff, but mostly drama because I felt that this story needed a little something interesting. I hope you liked and next chapter we will find out what's wrong with Andi. Review and leave me all of your thoughts! ***_


	16. Chapter 16

_*** Took a while to get this up, as you all obviously noticed. But here's a new chapter. ***_

Emily sat on the hard plastic chair by her daughter's crib. She was asleep again, but it had been a rough night. Andi was up every hour. The nurses tried their best to help as Emily fed and changed the fussy infant. She had to fed with a bottle and formula because they didn't know yet what was wrong and there was a chance that she had gotten something from Emily feeding her. But Andi hated the bottle and the few times that she wasn't crying was when she was in her mother's arms, but she couldn't stay there because there was the worry again that she had caught something from Emily. It was like one big game that neither Emily or her daughter would win.

There was a soft wrap on the door and then Dr. Wilson walked in. "Good morning." She walked over to Andi and looked down at the sleeping infant. "I heard that she didn't get much sleep last night?"

"No, not at all. It took until this morning to finally get her down for longer than an hour." Emily explained.

"Well I do have some good news for you." Dr. Wilson started.

"You do?"

"Yes. All of Andi's tests came back normal which means that it's nothing serious. I think that she just picked up a flu virus from someone somewhere."

"So does this mean I can take her home?" Asked Emily, hopefully.

"Probably not until a little later." Dr. Wilson said. "She still had a little bit of a fever this morning, so if we can get that to go away completely, which I imagine it will, then I will discharge her this evening. But when I do, you'll have to keep her home for at least 72 hours and you'll be taking her temperature every six hours, as well as giving her some antibiotics that I will prescribe."

"Okay, whatever she needs if it means that I can bring her home."

"I will be back later to check in on her and a nurse will be in shortly to take her temperature again. Just hang in for a few more hours and you should be good to go." Dr. Wilson gave Emily a reassuring smile.

As the hours passed, Andi's fever began to go away and she seemed to become less and less fussy. Dr. Wilson had decided that whatever Andi had picked hadn't come from Emily, so she was allowed to feed and hold her again, which made Emily happy and Andi seemed to be better in her mother's arms.

"Hey, how is she?" JJ walked in to the room quietly, just as Emily was laying Andi back down after she had fallen asleep in her arms.

"Much better." Emily sounded much less anxious than she had the night before, when JJ had last seen her. "Her fever is almost completely gone now and the doctor thinks that she will get to come home tonight."

"Good, good." JJ was relieved for her niece.

"I just want to be out of here. No one gets better in a hospital."

"Are you going to need a ride home tonight? I can go get your car again and come pick you both up?"

Emily had to wonder what she would do if it wasn't for JJ and the rest of the team. "That would be great. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. Can I bring you anything when I come back?"

"Would you mind grabbing something for Andi to wear. I don't want to put her back in what she came in."

"Absolutely." JJ told her. "Just text me when you're ready and I'll head over."

By the time five o'clock rolled around, Emily was exhausted from not having slept the night before and she was just barely functioning, but Andi had just been released and her daughter was more important than how she was feeling. She would hopefully get some sleep that night, so long as Andi stayed feeling better.

"Here, I've got her." JJ grabbed the car seat from Emily and carefully clicked it into the backseat.

Emily slipped into the passenger seat, buckling up.

JJ reversed the car out of the parking spot and headed toward Emily's brownstone. The ride was quiet, but just from her body language, JJ could see that Emily was relieved to be headed home and to know that Andi was going to be okay.

"Why is Penelope here?" Emily could see her car parked in the other half of her driveway.

"She insisted on coming over to cook you dinner."

"Of course she did." Chuckled Emily.

"I hope that's okay. I didn't think you would mind too much since it wasn't the whole team ambushing you."

"It's fine. Andi is just probably going to sleep now anyway, the doctor said the antibiotics will make her little drowsy."

JJ parked the car and got out, as did Emily. "That's probably for the best though. She needs all the rest that she can get."

Emily grabbed Andi from the backseat, making a fuss from under the cover that was over her. JJ shut the car door behind her and led them into the house. They walked in, to find Penelope in the kitchen, food surrounding her.

"I thought you were cooking dinner, Pen?" JJ looked around at everything sitting on the kitchen counters.

"Well that's what it started as." Penelope said sheepishly. "But then I realized that our Emily had absolutely nothing, so I made dinner for tonight and some other stuff for the rest of the week. And then I found this really great blueberry muffin recipe online and I wanted to make cookies because everyone deserves cookies and now here we are."

"You didn't have to do this PG." Emily had taken Andi out of her car seat and was bouncing her in her arms.

"It's never a have to, babe." Penelope assured her.

For the next hour or so, JJ helped Penelope finish up in the kitchen and clean up the mess that had been made. Emily fed, changed, and gave Andi her antibiotics before she fell back asleep. Usually the mom would have tried to keep her awake so that she would sleep more that night, but she was going to let her sleep as much as she could to get over the virus.

"Did she go down okay?" JJ asked when Emily came back down the stairs from the nursery.

"Yep, she was asleep on the changing table before I could even lay her down."

"Poor baby girl." Penelope frowned.

Emily nodded in agreement. "I knew that being a parent was going to be hard, but these last two days have been way more difficult than I was expecting. How have you lasted so long JJ?"

"I'm not actually sure." JJ chuckled. "Honestly, most days I think I'm going to give myself an ulcer from worrying about them and then other days I'm able to tell myself that they will be okay."

"It's just crazy to me that one little person can make me so scared of the world. I've spent years hunting serial killers and I mean, I've always wondered how parents did it and I've always known what's out there, but everything is magnified when you're thinking about it in terms of your baby having to grow up surrounded by it." Emily said as she poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher in the fridge.

"Yeah, but she has the most badass mama she could have." Penelope sat at one of the stools at the kitchen island, JJ next to her.

"I don't know that that's true." Emily took a sip of her water.

"It is." JJ corrected her. "But don't beat yourself up over this. If you start doing that now, it will only get worse as more things go wrong and trust me they will. That's what kids are for: changing your life and making things end up a whole lot different than you ever expect."

"Great, so this is the next eighteen years." Laughed Emily.

"More like the rest of your life. They may leave the nest, but you never stop worrying." Admitted JJ.

"Oh good; I'm screwed then." Emily stopped for a moment. "I just wonder what this all would have been like if Hotch was still here and knew about Andi. I can't imagine how over protective he would have been of his little girl and I feel like by not telling him, I took that from her. If I had said something, maybe he would have been with me, here with us, instead of filling up his gas tank at that station. Things could have been so different. Maybe I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed if I had just been brave enough to tell him."

"That's what this is really about isn't it?" Penelope could hear the truth in her voice.

Emily nodded.

"Em, you made that decision with the best intentions in mind. You did what you thought was best for you and for Andi and for Hotch and Jack. No one could ever have predicted what was going to happen. And we know that he would have loved Andi more than any of us could possibly imagine, but you just have to remember that everything happens for a reason, you're the first person to tell us that and you need to believe your own words here. Someday, you'll be able to tell Andi all about her dad and how great he was, you have that and no one can take it from you."

"And now she has the toughest guardian angel who will never let a single thing happen to her worse than getting this cold." Penelope added. "And now you also have Jack, who is so lucky to have you and still have a piece of his dad in Andi."

"I just hope that Andi feels that it's enough when she can understand all of this."

"You will make sure that it's enough for her Em." JJ assured her. "That's what moms are for, making sure their babies always have enough, even if you don't realize you're doing it."

"God, you could write a book JJ." Emily half laughed, giving her friend a hard time, while also trying to hide how jealous she was that JJ had everything all figured out so well.

Penelope squealed with delight. "You could rival Rossi, you know. You could become famous for writing about parenting and murders."

"Oh sure." JJ rolled her eyes. "Because everyone looking for a parenting book is also looking to read up on recent serial killers."

"Hey, you have to be prepared for everything nowadays." Emily was now laughing and JJ and Pen joined her.

Before long the women found themselves at Emily's kitchen table, their dinner devoured and the plates to prove it still sitting on the table top. They each were relaxed into their chairs, the worries of their everyday lives disappeared for a few minutes. That was the beauty of their relationships, Tara included who was out of town for an interview; no matter where they were or what was happening they were family first and that meant that none of them would ever be alone.

Simultaneously, JJ and Penelope's phones went off. They both knew what that meant.

"Rossi?" Emily asked.

"Of course." JJ sighed, standing up from her chair.

"We have enough time to help you with the dishes though." Penelope began to pick up empty plates.

"Stop." Insisted Emily, taking them from her hands. "You guys go. I can take care of all of this. You both have done more than enough."

"But call me if you need anything." Penelope said. "Me and my computers will can be here in fifteen if you need me."

Emily just laughed at the eclectic blonde.

 _ *** Fluffy, but Andi is okay and I want to continue to bring in Hotch and Jack because I think that it's a big part of the show/story. ***_


	17. Chapter 17

_*** This took me so much longer to update than I had hoped, but here it is. ***_

"I can't do this. I can't."

Emily paced the length of her living room floor, Andi in her arms fast asleep. She shuffled her feet back and forth across the taupe colored carpet, as she panicked about her first day back at work. It had been coming, she knew it had been coming, but now that the day had appeared so quickly, Emily was back tracking.

"Stop. Yes you can."

JJ and Emily had planned to carpool on her first day back weeks ago. JJ knew that when the day came, Emily would have a hard time leaving the baby and she figured that if she could be there, she could hopefully ease some of her tension. However, from the moment the blonde arrived, Emily had been fighting her on actually walking out the door.

"But what if something happens? What if she gets sick again or she falls off the changing table or anything else and we're halfway across the country on a case? I can't just drive home; I can't just run upstairs. I have to get on a plane and hope that I make it in time." Ranted Emily breathlessly.

"First, you sound like Penelope." JJ told her. "Secondly, things are going to happen, they always do. You've seen that for me, you saw with Hotch, and with Morgan. But you being here or on a case won't stop them. You just have to know that she's in good hands. That's she's well taken care of."

Emily had found her nanny completely by accident. The last time Elizabeth Prentiss had been in town, she had asked that Emily join her for lunch with some diplomat friend. Emily had been reluctant, but as she was trying to salvage some sort of relationship with her mother she agreed. Lucky for her that she did, as the diplomat's daughter had just recently graduated from high school, but was taking a year of from school before she made a college decision. Camilla had instantly taken to Andi holding her, bouncing her around the entire lunch and it had been Elizabeth who made the suggestion that Camilla nanny for her daughter. The young girl had said yes instantly, smitten by the baby and impressed by what Emily was willing to pay her.

"Do you think I made the right choice? I mean she's only eighteen." Emily spoke more softly this time as Camilla was just upstairs in Andi's room.

"Emily, how many times did you read the background check you did on her? And her mother is a diplomat. What is she going to do run away with Andi and try to hide? She's surrounded by too many important and very connected people. She's a smart girl and she adores Andi."

Emily nodded at JJ's comments. "How I am supposed to be away from her? How did you do it?"

"Well just as long as you don't cry in front of the team you'll be fine." JJ tried to joke, but the eye role she received from Emily proved that it hadn't been all that funny.

"Seriously, how did you do it?"

"I just did it. There's no secret, no way to calm yourself. Eventually it gets easier and it will become comfortable for you to be away from her. But the first time is the hardest, just like anything. Once you get past today, every day seems a little easier. And you'll start to trust more and more that who she's home with and who's caring for her loves her almost as much as you do."

"I trust Camilla completely." Said Emily. "But I still just can't bring myself to feel comfortable."

"That's normal. Trust isn't always the issue."

Emily let out a long deep breath.

"The longer you wait, the harder it's going to get. Go up there, give Andi one last kiss and then I am going to drag you out the door for your own good."

Emily followed the instructions, struggling through every second of it until she was in JJ's car on her way to headquarters. They had gotten a call about a case from Penelope on the way and the thought of having to get on the jet as soon as they got to Quantico made her anxiety over leaving Andi double, if not triple.

"Welcome back mama." Derek greeted her as he poured himself a cup of coffee and she walked onto the jet.

Emily gave him a weak smile and Derek could sense that she was a little off.

"You okay?"

"I'll be fine." Emily told him.

"Look I had to literally drag Savannah out the door on her first day back to work. It's not easy and don't feel bad for struggling with it. You'll be okay and Andi will be okay."

"When we get back and I have my daughter in my arms I will believe you guys, but right now it's not that easy."

"Understandable. Just don't beat yourself up over it."

She gave him a very fake smile, that he could see was a weak effort to hide what she was feeling, before she took a seat on the jet. Everyone followed her lead.

"Alright, let's get started. We have a lot to get caught up on before we get there."

Emily did her best to turn on her most convincing unit chief act and hide what she was really feeling. She could only hope that the more they delved into the case, the more she could keep her mind busy and not worry so much about Andi.

However, this was not the case to be starting with when she had just left her daughter for the first time. She knew that the case had been urgent, that's why the only time they had at headquarters had been ten minutes to drop off their stuff before grabbing their go bags. Penelope had nearly pushed them out the door, explaining that she would call them on the plane to fill them in.

Penelope's face appeared in the square of the MacBook on the table. The look in her eyes and the lack of a sassy greeting told the whole team that they were looking at something horrific.

"What is it baby girl?" Derek asked.

They could see Garcia's eyes shift to Emily quickly and then back to the rest of the group. "It's a child. A… a missing… little girl. She's only six months old and she was taken right out of her stroller in a public park."

Emily's heart dropped.

The team sat silent for a moment. Missing children's cases were never easy and now they had to do their job while also trying their best to keep their unit chief focused on what was happening right in front of them, not at home.

"You are not seriously about to walk up to your office right now, are you?"

Emily turned around before she could take a single step further, the voice was Tara's and the question surprised her coming from the female agent. They had just returned to Quantico after landing. She knew the paperwork that would be waiting for her now that the case had been closed and she didn't want to get behind on her first case back, no matter how much she wished she was at home on the couch snuggling her sweet baby girl.

"Umm… yeah I am."

"No you're not."

"Well last time I checked I was unit chief and that meant that just because we got back from a case, the job wasn't over. Also, known as the paperwork from hell."

Tara shook her head. "Just because you're unit chief doesn't mean that you have to do it all and you can try to pretend all you want, but we all know that you are literally dying to see Andi."

"The paperwork will be there tomorrow. Go home Emily." JJ reinforced Tara's message.

"I guess." Emily sighed. "I just need to grab my purse."

She walked up the ramp, unlocking her office door with her keys. She threw her go bag on the floor next to her desk and switched it out for her purse that was atop the desk. "Hey JJ?"

The blonde looked up from her phone in the bullpen as Emily came out of her office. "Yeah?"

"Want to give me a ride back home?" The unit chief shuffled toward her.

JJ realized what she meant. "I guess I could do that since I brought you here. But only if you let me buy you dinner on the way?"

"I think we can make that happen." Emily smirked.

"Good." JJ picked her own purse back up. "Tara want to join?"

"If there's food and you ladies involved, I'm there. Want me to grab Penelope and meet you there?"

"That would be great." JJ said as she headed toward the elevator, followed by Emily who was texting Camilla that she was on her way home.

She heard the lock click and Emily pushed open the door, letting JJ walk through first as she was holding the food. The brunette came in behind her, shutting the door, and slipping her shoes off onto the rack. The noises of Andi babbling from the living room made her move a little faster.

"Hi sweet girl." Emily squealed when she came up next to Camilla who was holding her. Emily put her hands out and the nanny transferred the baby into her arms. "How was she? Did she take her bottles okay? I'm sorry for not checking in very often, this case was crazy."

"Don't worry about it. You're supposed to be able to work without worrying too much about us. Besides, she was really good. Ate like a champ and she even slept for almost six hours straight last night."

"Really? She never sleeps that long for me."

"Kids are always better for other people than they are for their parents." JJ pointed out as she emptied the bags of food onto the counter.

"Of course they are." Scoffed Emily. "Thanks for everything Camilla. I'll let you know for sure later tonight, but I think that I'll be taking the day off tomorrow."

She nodded. "Sound good. I'm available if you need me, though."

Emily and JJ watched as she collected all of her belongings and headed for the door. But before she could open it, Tara and Penelope came walking through, a bottle of wine in Tara's hand and something that looked like a dessert in Penelope's hands.

"Thanks again, Camilla." Emily called after the young girl.

"So you were in a rush to get started on your paperwork earlier and now you're taking the day off tomorrow?"

"What's up with that?" Tara had set down the bottle of wine and was making herself at home by pulling the wine glasses from their shelf in the cabinet.

"It's not like I can't do most of it from here anyway, it's just paperwork and I want the time with Andi." Emily admitted. "You all were right; I was dying to see her. Especially after this case."

From the moment the plane landed, the team was on edge and on high alert. Missing children's cases required them to be on top of their game as they were working with little time, frazzled and worried parents, and have the media breathing down their necks. It had been stressful to say the least, but thirty-six hours after landing, the team found the baby girl alive. She had to be taken to the hospital and would be there for a few days, but she was safe and most importantly she was back in her parents' arms. But even with a happy ending, Emily couldn't help herself from thinking about all the kid cases they had seen that hadn't ended so well and because of it, although she tried to hide it, she was aching for Andi to be in her arms.

"This was not an easy one." Tara agreed.

"And for it to be your first one back, it was even worse." JJ sympathized with her.

"I don't think it's going to matter what the case is now. They are all magnified and seem so much more horrible." Emily stared at Andi, who had laid her head against her mama's shoulder, snuggling against her.

"Yes they are." Penelope told her. "But we are here for you. The guys are here for you and it just means that we will have to have that many more nights like this where we remind you and ourselves that no matter how bad it is out there, we have each other."

 _ *** Alright, let me know what you thought. If there's anything you want to see or something I should cover. ***_


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